Can't You Just Adore Her?
by Lelila Solo
Summary: Mark picks Callie up from the airport after Arizona leaves her, will they finally come together despite all the circumstances keeping them apart?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: _Hey guys! I'm back, and with something completely different! While this is Mallie, I would love it if some Calzona lovers read this too. You never know, your opinion could be changed ;) I'm working really hard on this when I can. I'm working 55+ hour weeks right now and I'll be honest that I have very little time, so don't expect immediate updates. But I promise to make every update a good one._

_This will hopefully be shorter and juicer than Luxury. I'm feeling at the most 15 chapters, but we know how that changed with Luxury, so I won't hold my breath. I'm just going to tell the story :)_

_I hope you guys love it! _

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><p>They worked at the same place, just down the street. They lived in the same building, just across the hall from each other. Their front doors were almost identical except for the gold apartment numbers nailed to them. But behind those doors, their lives had been completely different for over a year now. Mark had been wrapped up in Lexie and Teddy, while Callie had been clinging to Arizona like a security blanket. They had drifted apart. Not intentionally, just due to circumstances that they couldn't control. He knew that she was happy, and that was all that he wanted for her, to be happy. And loved. Arizona loved her. He saw it when he watched them together. They were happy and stable, and loving, and going to last a lifetime. Until four days ago.<p>

Now, boxes of Callie's stuff were stacked around Mark's couch and television, in his kitchen, and in his bedroom. He sat the box in his hands down by the door and looked around. He'd never imagined they'd end up like this.

"_Mark."_

"_Callie?" he'd asked into the phone, riddled with confusion. She should be on a plane to Africa right now._

"_Can you come to the airport please?" he could hear her voice breaking._

"_What happened?"_

"_Arizona left me."_

Four days ago, he had been certain that he wouldn't see her for three years, if ever again. He had said goodbye to his best friend, and wished her well before she left to get on a plane that would take her halfway around the world, because that's where the woman she loved was going. That's how much Callie loved Arizona. And that's how much he loved Callie, enough to let her go. She wasn't his, not by a long shot. Now, she was crying more often than not. Her chocolate eyes were melted and bloodshot. Her golden heart was shattered into millions of unrecognizable pieces. He'd been there for her through George, through Erica, and through the roller coaster that was Arizona. But Callie had been kicked off the ride and Mark was there to lead her out of the theme park. She had never been his, and yet she always had been. He fought back a sigh as Callie came in behind him with the last box. "Thanks again, for doing this."

"No problem, Cal," he said, turning on his charm, not wanting her to know what his thoughts were. "You've got a lot of crap, you know?"

She snorted, looking around his now cluttered apartment. "Sorry. I think most of it is…Arizona's." Her voice caught in her throat. She didn't want to cry again. She really didn't want to cry again.

"You, uh, talked to the Chief about getting your job back?" Mark asked, changing the topic from the blonde as he took the last box from her hands and set it on top of another one nearby.

She walked over to his couch and sunk into it, kicking off her shoes and tucking her feet up underneath of her. "Yeah, he hasn't replaced me yet. So I'll be back in two weeks. He's just taking it from my vacation time."

Mark had gone to the kitchen and pulled down two coffee mugs. He still knew how she liked her coffee. He would never forget. It was one of those things about Callie. "That's good."

"Yeah," she sighed heavily and he could see the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders. "It'll give me time to go through all this stuff and put _her_ stuff back into storage. And to get my renters out of my apartment." She took his offered coffee and sipped, a grateful smile playing with her lips.

"Or you could just stay here," he let it slip out unintentionally.

"Mark," she fought laughter. "You're trying to pull things together with Lexie. I don't think my living here for long will help with that. She's already nervous with me."

_Maybe because she has a reason to be_. His mind thought before he could control it. "The invitation is open."

She nodded, and then dissolved into tears again. "Mark, what am I going to do?"

He set his coffee down beside hers on the coffee table and wrapped her into his arms. "Everything happens for a reason, Callie."

"I can't find a reason for this one, not this time," she cried into his neck.

"You may not know for a while," he said, stroking her back. "But one day, you'll look back and understand why she left you."

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><p>Callie was making dinner. She had insisted. She said that it helped get her mind off of things. So Mark had decided to jump in the shower. He had too much thinking to do and the hot water pounding on his back helped clear his head. Part of him was secretly happy. He got to keep his best friend. But she was devastated, and heart broken. He didn't want that for her. He hated seeing her like this, again. He wanted to see her happy.<p>

_With you_, a voice in the back of his head whispered. It had been whispering to him a lot recently.

He shook it off. It was an idea that he'd entertained once upon a time. He could see a life with Callie, he wouldn't deny it. But she had never shown the same interest. After her divorce with George, there had been many a time where he'd considered asking her for a more committed relationship. But then Erica had come around and he'd been friend zoned. It was an idea that he'd abandoned after that. She was his best friend and he wouldn't risk that. Plus, she'd had the opportunity to come to him. They would always be friends, nothing more.

But still, he couldn't help but adore her. He put her on a pedestal where she could do no wrong. He adored everything about her, from the way she drank her coffee to how her face relaxed when she was sleeping to the way she smiled to her concentration when she was in surgery. He knew her favorite thing to do was read, but she was so busy that she never finished a book. She worked too much to ever possibly finish. She would read and then forget what had happened by the time she got back to it and would give up. It always amused him to ask her about her current book at work. She would huff and roll her eyes, frustrated with herself. And she loved his chocolate chip pancakes.

"I'll make them for her tomorrow," he promised the shampoo bottle. Letting the water pound the rest of the thoughts out of his head, he quickly rinsed off and snuck into his bedroom to change. When he came back out, he watched her for a few moments. She was bent over the stove, crying. She was always crying.

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><p>"Dinner was great, Cal," he smiled. Callie was a genius in the kitchen. When Mark thought he didn't have anything to eat, Callie always managed to whip up some delicious meal. And then she would leave him to eat it alone and go back to Arizona, but that was beside the point. Except for tonight, she'd eaten with him for the first time in…a long time.<p>

"Thanks," she shrugged. "You were watching me."

"I…yeah," he nodded. "You are mesmerizing sometimes." Again, his thoughts slipped out before he could catch them. He needed to watch himself. She was heartbroken and the last thing she needed was him hitting on her. He cringed inside, waiting for her response, praying that it wasn't more tears.

"I'm not that great, I promise."

_I think you are_. He really needed to stop thinking like this. They were beyond this. They'd moved past this. But he couldn't help letting his gaze linger on her a moment too long or resting his hand a little too high on her thigh.

"I would have resented her," she sat on the couch and turned to look at Mark. "I think I already was, resenting her. For making me love her so much that I was willing to give up everything for her."

"You love her. It's not so strange to give up everything for the one you love." _I would know_.

"I would do it all over again in a second," she said. It was the truth. She would love Arizona again, given the chance. She would fall for those dimples and those bright blue eyes again in a heartbeat. If she had to go back in time, Callie would love Arizona again. "I'm so in love with her. She's in my head, all the time. I hear her voice in my ears; see her face when I close my eyes. I smell her perfume in the air all the time, like she's standing right there beside me. All the time."

"It's only been four days, Callie," he responded softly, coming around to sit by her. "Give it some time."

"Is this how it was with Lexie?"

"Yes and no," he said. He wasn't willing to admit his complicated feelings over Lexie to Callie. Not until he was sure she wasn't broken anymore. Not until he was sure she wouldn't bolt out the front door and never come back.

"It feels like it's been years since Arizona left me, not days. I…I thought I would be with her forever. I thought I would spend my entire life with her. And then she got on a plane to Africa for three years without even looking back. I thought that, maybe, I'd found the one. She was the one. So what do I do now?" Callie laid her head down in Mark's lap. His fingers automatically began smoothing her hair. She wasn't looking for an answer this time, and he knew that. She just wanted someone to listen. She processed things out loud. Someone to be there. Mark had ears. Mark listened. And Mark was always there. "We had plans. We were making plans and then this grant out of the blue just shattered everything. How do you forget to mention that you're moving, possibly, to Africa, if you win a crazy award? How does that slip your mind? Especially when you're sitting at the dinner table, making plans to get married."

If he'd had coffee in his mouth, it would have been spewed across the room. "What?" he asked, stunned. That was news to him. He'd known that Callie and Arizona were serious, but he never expected that. Arizona didn't seem like the marrying kind. She gave up too easily. This, the situation Callie was now in, was proof of that.

"She asked me the night before she found out about the grant," Callie said, smiling sadly at the memory. "We stayed up all night talking about receptions and parties and…and honeymoons in Spain. How does she go from honeymoons to moving across the world in a day, without me? Without even asking me? I thought we were happy."

"You were happy," Mark agreed. "But what if she had given it up? What if she had stayed?"

Callie was silent.

"She would have started resenting you."

"I know." Her tears began falling in earnest, leaving dark circles on his jeans. Her sobs clogged her throat and shook her shoulders. "As soon as I found out about it, I knew we were done. Just that moment, when you see the end coming. You should have seen her dancing around the apartment like a crazy person, mad with happiness. And then she saw my face."

"And?" Mark prompted when she didn't continue.

"And she got mad at me for not being happy for her. But how could I have been happy? I wanted to burn that letter. Go back in time and intercept it and burn it before she could open it, read it. I wanted to erase it from her mind. That letter was the beginning of our end and she wanted me to be happy over it. She couldn't see it. But I could. I didn't know it would come this soon. But I knew it would come."

"Did you ever tell her?"

"No," Callie sat back up. "No. Why would I have ever told her? It just would've ended us that much sooner. Granted," she smiled, "I may not have been left in an airport."

Her smile was breathtaking, it always had been. Except when she mixed it with the broken expression lingering in her eyes. Then it was heartbreaking. She was beautiful, in every way she exuded beauty. He'd thought so since their first meeting in Joe's bar. He hadn't been able to comprehend why anyone would dump her. She was perfection. He looked over at her half hidden face as she stared forward at the blank television screen. Her smile could break the sun free of the clouds. Her eyebrows arched with a hint of sass that he'd always admired. Her cheekbones and jaw held a hint of regality. Her lips were full and perfectly kissable. The trails of her tears over her cheeks were like morning dew brushed over grass. From the moment he'd seen her, all those years ago, he'd never been able to take his eyes off of her. Not even for Lexie. The subtlety of Callie's perfection made him want to adorn her with affection, but he resisted. Because she wasn't his, she never had been, but she always would be.

Callie had the spirit of a wild mustang. He'd watched cowboy after cowboy and even a few cowgirls try to tame her. But you couldn't tame a wild spirit. She thrived on her independence. She was stubborn with her pride. She loved with abandon. Mark loved that about her. And he knew she deserved someone to love her like that.

"You gonna be okay on the couch?" he asked. "Because the bed's open."

"Yeah," she said, her voice quivering. "I'll be fine."

It was an all-encompassing statement. He knew it was true. She would be fine. Eventually. Until she found someone else who would try to tame her and end up breaking her heart again when they realized she could never be tamed. "She's the unlucky one, you know. She lost out on the perfect woman. She could have been happy with you. Now she'll never know."

"It doesn't feel like that," she said, her voice small. "Do you think she'll come back, Mark?"

He thought for a minute. If Arizona came back, Callie would go back to her, after throwing a temper tantrum fit for a queen. Arizona had made Callie dependent, the closest to tame she would ever be. But Arizona had also made Callie happy. But that happiness wouldn't last. Not for Callie. She needed to run free. "I don't know, Cal," he finally said, honestly. "But if she does, she'll be the only one who has."

Mark was inwardly being selfish. He didn't want to lose Callie to Arizona again. He barely heard her mumble, "You're the only one who never left."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! I know the updates are slow, but I'm working on them as much as I can!

Pammie - So nice to hear from you again darling :)

Logan - Thanks! This was a request by someone so I figured I'd give it a shot.

rbabe2005 - Thanks for your opinion, but this isn't a place to hate on the characters from the show. If you have something to say about my writing, then by all means let me know, but please refrain from flaming because you don't like a character. I'm well aware of the reasons that Arizona left Callie, seeing as how I'm a huge Callie, Arizona, Calzona, Mark, and Mallie fan. I watch the show religiously and have indepth discussions about plot details. That comment was unnecessary. If you don't like the premise of the fic, then please, don't read.

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><p>She was surrounded by stuff. Her stuff. Arizona's stuff. Their stuff. Her original thought had been to go box by box, so that she didn't fill the remaining space in Mark's apartment with junk. But somewhere after the second box she'd given up and now the couch, coffee table, kitchen island, all of the chairs and the tables and the floor was full of her junk that had previously cluttered her apartment. She sat on her knees, a photo clutched in her hands. She had no more tears, just overwhelming sorrow. She'd cried more in the past week than she had in her entire life. It was her favorite picture of them, the one she held in her hands. They'd been strolling in the park and Arizona had whipped out her camera, insisting on a photo shoot. She was kissing the blonde's cheek. Arizona looked perfectly, happy, content, and in love.<p>

_Where had that gone? Across the Atlantic Ocean_, she told herself. She sat the picture down and picked trinkets out of her current half-emptied box. They were little clay butterflies that one of Arizona's patients had made for her. She stood and walked over to a box labeled 'ARIZONA' in thick permanent marker. Inside, among various other things, she carefully placed the butterflies so they wouldn't get broken. Most of the junk, she didn't know what to do with. It wasn't hers, or Arizona's, it was theirs. The mountains of pictures and the decorations for their apartment that were strewn across Mark's living room seemed ominous and threatening. She'd started a junk pile, but now she wasn't sure of where it began and ended. To her, it was all junk, all junk that she wanted to keep. But she wanted to keep it with Arizona and she didn't have Arizona anymore.

Callie sighed. "I've lost everything," she said to the room. "You left me. How could you? You made me love you; you made me depend on you. Now what? All I get are the memories of what we had? The dreams of what we could have had? We were getting married!" Her voice was getting louder, sharper as anger began to settle into her bloodstream. "You asked me to marry you! And then you pull this…this shit? I thought you were the one! You put me back together; you stood by me through everything that has happened to me. You know absolutely everything about me! And just like that. Just like that you're gone. I hope Africa is everything you dreamed that it would be. Because I dreamt so much for us, Arizona. We had plans, and I had dreams and I thought that you shared them with me but I guess I was wrong! How could you not even mention the stupid grant? I hope you're happy. As much as I hate your guts right now, as much as I never want to see you again…" she let herself break, "I just wish you were here to hold me. It's so cold, Arizona. Nothing is the same. What do I do now?"

Her shoulders sagged and she closed her eyes in disbelief. She'd just yelled at an empty room. That was how messed up she was. There was one more box that had yet to be opened. She knew what was inside of it. She'd been saving it for last, but now she was wishing that she'd opened it first. Given that her anger had progressed, she was really wishing that she'd opened it first. She stared at the black letters stating 'BEDROOM' written across the side. Once she opened it, she'd see Arizona's undergrad college t-shirt that Callie had stretched out. Arizona had liked how it had outlined every curve, fitting Callie like a second skin. She had especially enjoyed…

"Stop!" she berated herself. Letting her mind wander was not a good thing for her right now. She wanted Arizona. That was all that she wanted. "I just want you, Arizona."

"Callie?" she heard the call as Mark stepped into the apartment. She turned to catch the look on his face. "What the hell?"

"I'm sorry," she sputtered. "I'll get it cleaned up."

"It's…okay. Just not what I expected to come home to."

"I just don't know what to do with everything," she turned in a circle. "How am I supposed to split up stuff that belongs to both of us?"

"Easy, you keep what you want and give everything else back to her," he shrugged, sidestepping a stack of empty picture frames to get into his bedroom. It was empty of her stuff, he noticed. A certain sense of loss struck him and he realized that he wanted all of her crap there. He dropped his medical bag to the floor and walked back out to the living room. She was still standing there, turning in circles, staring at everything. "Did you umm, happen to talk to the inhabitants of your apartment?" He didn't want her to go though.

"I had to buy them out, but yeah. They said they'd be gone in three days," she said. "Okay, this box and that box are dishes. Arizona doesn't cook, so I'm keeping them. And that box is all plates and cups and stuff, but we bought that set together and –"

"Wait. Which ones were dishes?" he asked. Stepping over another pile of what looked like rugs, he hefted them into his arms when she pointed them out and disappeared into his bedroom. Returning empty handed, he said simply, "All the crap that you're keeping, goes in there."

"Okay."

"As for the plates."

"I want a new start." He could hear the slight desperation in her voice.

"Then we'll ship them back to her and go buy new stuff," he said, moving the box to one side of the room. "All her crap goes over there."

She pointed to two more boxes that were definitely hers and watched him make them disappear. Then he helped her sort. He made her laugh, he dried the tears that reappeared, and he took away the edge of loneliness that was biting into her heart.

"Callie, what is –" he turned. She was right there. Too close. "– this?"

She watched his face and felt the natural urge to kiss him. But even as he whispered "this" he turned away. A cold wave of rejection smacked her in the face. She took a step back and pulled another empty box to her. "It's a quilt Arizona's mom made for her when she was little."

"Really? Looks like something of yours," he said. It was soft, like her skin.

"Yeah, I know. We used to joke about it," Callie smiled. "It can go over there." He put it where she told him. When she first met Mark, her heart had belonged to George. But she was drawn to his chiseled features that were softened by his scruffy grey facial hair. He had the look of a man where George sometimes had the look of a boy. And his eyes were piercing, the lightest blue that she had ever seen. Physically, he contrasted her and she found it endlessly fascinating. It was one of the things she'd always found mesmerizing with Arizona, but with Mark it was a whole new level. One, Mark was a guy. An extremely handsome guy. He had a sense of humor that rivaled hers. And underneath his incredibly tough and macho exterior he had a heart of gold and an extremely sensitive soul. When there had been a chance of them going farther, Erica had worked her way into her life. But she'd always wondered what she was missing when it came to Mark. There was so much about him that she didn't know, that she wanted to know. He'd stuck by her when Erica left suddenly. But then Arizona had shown up and she'd all but forgotten Mark. Arizona had been just about everything she'd always wanted. She'd stopped wondering about Mark, because she had Arizona and he had Lexie and it wasn't her place to pry into his past. But he was still here. After everyone had walked away, he was still holding her up, holding her together.

Going through the boxes that held her past, she was suddenly interested in his again. Her eyes flicked up to look at him. She could see his profile, his sharp features highlighted by the track lighting above him. "Mark, where did you grow up?"

He turned and stared at her in question, "Manhattan?"

Callie shook her head, black hair dancing around her face. "I know that. I meant where like your house, your family."

"Why?"

"I was just wondering," she shouldn't have brought it up. "We're going through all this stuff and it just reminds me that there is a lot about you that I don't know."

"Just because we're shifting through your life doesn't mean that we need to dig through my past," his words held a bitter edge. "It was no Miami mansion."

"I wasn't," she sighed. "Nevermind."

"No, you wanted to know," he said.

"Not if you're going to be all angry about it. Just forget it," she said. She hadn't meant to raise his hackles. She knew he kept his personal stuff private, but she thought they were close enough to talk about that stuff. Apparently, she was wrong. "What do you want to do for dinner?"

It was that sudden, she just gave up. If she really wanted to know, she would have pushed more. She just wanted to talk about something other than Arizona, but his past was not it. "Take out?"

"Are you sure? I can cook something."

He put his hand on her arm. "I'm sure. Pizza?"

She watched his hand, "Pizza sounds fine."

He watched her watching him and quickly removed his hand. She needed to get out of his apartment before he did something they would both regret. Unless she wanted it too, but he knew she didn't. She just wanted Arizona. "I'll go order."

She watched him go. She felt like she watched him an awful lot lately. She blamed it on her heartbreak. He was a good distraction. He always had been. But she couldn't let him be her hookup again. He deserved more than that. So she turned and packed another box with her crap. They'd gotten through most of the mess that she'd made earlier. Trash bags full of unwanted or unneeded junk lined the back of the couch. Most of the boxes that had been refilled had been piled in the corner to go back into storage for Arizona. About ten were in Mark's bedroom for her. She just wanted to start over. But first, she really needed physical contact. Her skin had been crawling ever since he'd come home and she didn't know what to do with herself anymore.

"Pizza is on its way," Mark called, coming back into the room.

She didn't turn or acknowledge his words.

"Callie?"

"Hug me," she said softly.

"What?" He moved closer to her to be able to hear.

"Hug me, Mark. Please, just hold me for like ten seconds," she asked him again. She could feel him behind her, feel him hesitate, and then his strong arms were around her as he pulled her into him. She felt herself settle down immediately. "Tighter."

He complied. "Cal, what's up with you?"

"I just really needed to be held, Mark." His embrace was just what she needed. She could smell his cologne on the rolled up sleeves of his shirt. She turned her head and he rested his on top of hers. She could feel the bristles from his goatee brushing against her scalp. A familiar longing stirred in her chest but she willed it away.

"Okay."

"You've been walking around me on pins and needles and I don't know why. You used to always know when I needed a hug and now here I am asking you for one. You're my best friend. So what's up with you?"

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><p>She had moved back into her apartment a week ago, but he didn't miss her. They saw each other at work now more than when she was living with him. She thought this was for the best. She had to learn to move on without him and he was trying to get back together with Lexie. That's what she thought. He loved Lexie, but they'd fallen apart and he wasn't sure what the best course of action with her was.<p>

"She's really out of your apartment?" Lexie asked, again.

"Yes, just like every other day this week when you've asked me," he said.

"I'm just making sure. I can't take any more surprises and half lies from you, Mark," she said. Her smile was infectious. "So tonight then?"

He was smiling back at her and was about to say yes when he heard a melodious laugh that stole his attention. He looked up and saw Callie rounding the corner with Derek. She beamed at him from across the way.

"Mark."

He shook himself and looked back down. "What?"

Lexie rolled her eyes. "I love you. But, no. Just no. Stop doing this to me."

"What?"

"Stop chasing me when I'm not the prize that you want. I won't be someone's second, Mark."

"Lex," he called, but she was walking away. He looked over at Callie by the nurse's station. She gave him half a second's glance before turning back to Derek. Mark turned and went after Lexie. "Lexie!"

"What?" she spun on her heel. "I see how you look at her."

"I've been making sure she is okay for a month now. It's a reflex," he said. "There's nothing there. But I love you. I want to be with you."

"It's how you've_ always_ looked at her, Mark," she hung her head. "Maybe you're blind, or she is. But I'm not. You can't keep coming after me to try to replace her. Go after her. You broke my heart before, but I won't let you mess with my head again. I could take you choosing your daughter over me. But if it's between me and Callie, Mark I can't. So if you're a thousand percent sure that there is nothing between you and Callie, then we might have a chance. But if you have point zero zero zero zero zero one percent doubt, then we don't."

"Lexie, I want you."

"Look me in the eye and tell me that!"

Her eyes grabbed his and she stared into his soul. He opened his mouth to tell her that nothing was there, nor had there ever been. But the words wouldn't come out, because they were lies. And Lexie deserved more than a life built around lies. "I wanted to marry you."

Her face fell. "I knew it."

"Lex," he tried to hug her.

She stepped back. "Don't, Mark. Go be happy with her. Let me be happy for you. But leave me alone, please."

"I'm sorry." His heart was tearing apart at the sight of her tears welling in her eyes.

"I know, me too," she managed to smile sadly at him before turning away.

He was left standing in the hall, alone. He might have feelings for Callie but he didn't know if she felt the same way about him. She was still grieving over Arizona. If anything, she would have to come to him before he ever said anything.

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><p>His fleeting decision to go after Lexie tore at her heart more than it should have, but if he wanted Lexie, all she wanted was for him to be happy. Callie didn't even know what she felt, aside from acute loneliness. He was not going to be her rebound again, but he wouldn't stay out of her head. So she had turned back to Derek and continued to laugh about their difficult patient. Until they'd both heard Lexie screaming and had fallen silent. When they hadn't heard anything else, Derek smiled at her before walking away. She had made a rash decision and decided to go down the hall after Mark, but she stopped short of turning the corner when she heard him speak.<p>

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I know, me too," Lexie said. She heard footsteps indicating that Lexie was walking away; they were too light to be Mark's.

"Sorry for what?" she came around the corner when she was certain that Lexie was gone.

Mark spun around quickly. She was leaning against the wall, arms folded across her chest. His heart started racing, his mouth went dry, like he'd been in the desert heat for three days and had just spotted an oasis. "I love you."

Callie's heart stopped for a second before she laughed that sweet laugh. "I know, I love you too, Mark." He was her best friend, of course she loved him.

She watched his face fall before his trademark grin was quickly plastered on it. "Yeah."

"I've uh, gotta go get some charts done," she said, suddenly uncomfortable with what she thought she saw written in his eyes. "Catch you later?"

"Yeah," he repeated. _Please don't walk away_. But she did. He was an idiot. She didn't feel that way about him. All she saw was her best friend. He found himself walking to Joe's, dragging his feet with every step. _Why did I say that? It was too soon for her_.

Several shots later, he was dragging home a blonde that reminded him too much of someone.

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><p>"Why did he say that to me?" Callie asked herself. "What is going on with him recently?" She refused to acknowledge her missed heartbeat. She was uncomfortable with it because she had been feeling the same. Like there was something more and they had missed it somehow. Like they actually…she refused to believe that underneath everything, she could be in love with him. He was her best friend. And…and she was a lesbian now and…and he was everything to her. She didn't need this now. Not when she was going home to her empty apartment. She'd accepted Arizona's leaving, but she still couldn't accept that she was once again alone. It would be another night of Chinese in front of a Lifetime movie with all the lights off, with too much to think about on her mind.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So I know that I'm usually a lot better about answering reviews. But isn't sending me alerts, for starters, and I've been working for like 68 hours pretty much straight with small breaks for sleep. We had our formal operations review at work today, so all this week we've been cleaning like beasts. It went excellent though and we passed with flying colors.

So thank you, to every one who has reviewed and who is reading! I love the comments, but I just sadly don't have the time to devote to answering everyone.

I hope you enjoy this installment!

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><p>They'd gone out a few times, but Callie could already tell that this girl was not the one for her. She was too edgy, too pushy, and too clingy. She got mad when Callie didn't respond immediately to her texts or answer her phones calls, and more often than not, she was in surgery when she got them. It felt wrong to kiss her, but Callie blamed that on Arizona. Callie's smiles and laughs were forced. She blamed that on Arizona too. The blonde's memory was clinging to her like a shadow. She hadn't talked to Mark in weeks, not since he'd told her that he loved her. She still wasn't sure exactly what he'd meant by that. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk or grab drinks; their schedules just hadn't collided recently. Either she was coming as he was going or she was going as he was coming. They passed each other in the doorway most days. And she'd rather put up with the clingy annoying chick, Teresa, than break it off and be alone again.<p>

It had been an okay date that night. They'd gone to see a movie and grabbed a bite at the local burger joint. Teresa had tried to make out like a horny teenager but Callie brushed off every advance. She was thinking about Arizona, somewhere in her subconscious, but all that had filled her mind that night was Mark and how much she missed him. Soon, Teresa would get tired of her, but Callie was determined to break it off first. She just never could make herself do it. She collapsed into bed, exhausted. It was only eleven, but she had an early shift the next morning and all she wanted was to sleep for the next six hours, oblivious to the world. As she began drifting off, she heard a buzzing. "What do you want you stupid bitch?" she screamed, reaching for her phone.

But it wasn't her phone, it was her pager. And it wasn't Teresa, it was the hospital. 911.

"Shit," she hissed, grabbing her street clothes and discarding her pajamas. "Shit, shit, shit."

* * *

><p>Lexie was the one waiting for her in the ambulance bay. She noticed the young resident's yellow emergency gown covered in blood. But she didn't have one for her. "Scrubs?"<p>

"You don't need them," Lexie shook her head.

In the dim light, Callie hadn't been able to tell that she was crying, but she could hear it in her voice. "I was paged 911. I need scrubs."

"I paged you," Lexie explained. "You don't need scrubs."

"Lexie, I have a shift in five and a half hours. So if you paged me down here to have a chat about your boyfriend, then I will hit you. What on earth is so damn important that you would page me 911 if I wasn't needed medically?" she snapped.

"Mark."

Callie felt her stomach twist.

"He was in an accident."

The color drained out of her face and her heart started racing. Lexie's scrubs were covered in blood. Mark's blood. "What happened to him?"

"He's in surgery."

"What happened? Is he okay?" Callie was trying to look past Lexie into the ER, but the shorter woman kept drawing her attention back.

"He's in surgery, Callie," Lexie repeated, sniffing back tears.

Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, her face streaked. Callie really looked at her and asked, "Are you okay?"

She shook her head and told Callie to follow her, leading the way inside. Finding an empty exam room, she ushered Callie in and closed the door behind them. She turned and looked at the shocked and scared Latina. The older woman was beautiful, even so. Callie was kind, fair, and compassionate; she knew why Mark was in love with her even if neither Callie nor Mark himself did.

"Why is he even here? He should be at Everett Memorial," Callie insisted, her mind back on Mark.

"He went and came back," Lexie said. At Callie's perplexed expression, she explained, "There was a helicopter accident."

"A what?" Callie didn't believe it. Or she wouldn't if there wasn't blood all over Lexie.

"The helicopter was landing and some strong wind came out of nowhere, like it has been all night. The chopper banked hard and he fell out."

"He fell?" Her arched eyebrows disappeared into her mussed hair.

"About forty feet," Lexie said.

"Oh my god," Callie sank into a nearby chair. "Is he okay?"

"They don't know."

"Is that?" Callie pointed to Lexie's emergency gown. She needed affirmation.

"His blood? Yes." Lexie nodded.

"Are you okay?"

Lexie looked up at Callie as she removed her bloody gown. "Why do you keep asking me that?"

"Mark would want me to make sure his girl was okay," Callie said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Lexie laughed in spite of herself and sank into another chair. "I'm not his girl."

"You two aren't…together?" Now Callie was really confused.

"He didn't tell you?" Lexie asked.

Callie shrugged, "We haven't seen each other that much recently to be honest."

"He didn't tell you." Lexie dropped her head into her hands.

"Tell me what?"

"I told him, he really didn't tell you?" Callie shook her head. "I told him to stop chasing me. Because I wasn't the prize he wanted when he won the race."

"But you are."

"I wish I was," Lexie said. When she looked up, Callie was staring at her. "You really are blind aren't you?"

"Excuse me?" Callie was beginning to get offended.

"He is in love with you! And you're too wrapped up in…in yourself and woe is me, and Arizona leaving you, to realize it," Lexie practically screamed. She'd been wanting to say that for a long time. "I love him and want him, but he doesn't want me, Callie. And I should hate both of you for it, but here I am, paging you in the middle of the night because he's hurt. I could go in there and keep him to myself. I could've. But he doesn't want me in there. He's not about to tell you that because you're so heartbroken and it would look bad on his part. But he's in love with you."

"He did," Callie hung her head, whispering gently.

"He did?"

"He told me," she said. "But I didn't think he meant that, not like that. He's my best friend and…oh my god." Her tears fell hot and thick, but they were no longer for Arizona. Mark had always been there for her, listened to her, but she hadn't repaid him in kind. She'd avoided him, walked away from him.

Lexie put her hand on Callie's knee. "He's never been able to stop thinking about you, Callie."

* * *

><p>Lexie got the page when he was out of surgery. She and Callie silently walked down to the ICU and waited outside the glass door for someone to tell them that it was okay for them to go in. He looked bad. His face was swollen and his head was covered in a bandage. His arm was in a cast. He was plugged up to every medical machine known to man it seemed.<p>

When the doctors came out, it was Derek who acknowledged them and told them that it was okay for them to see him. "He's in a medical coma, okay? Until the swelling goes down. But he's stable. Try not to jostle him."

Lexie went in first, but Callie hung back. "How bad is it, Shepherd?"

"I won't lie, Torres. It's not good. We won't know how bad until the swelling goes down and he wakes up," Derek said. "I want to say he'll be fine, because he's Mark. But I really don't know."

"Thanks," she sighed. He patted her shoulder and walked away, yawning.

* * *

><p>Lexie had Mark's hand and was stroking his arm. "You're an idiot, you know that?"<p>

"Of all the ways to tell her so she might understand, you just blurt it out. How else was she supposed to take it? Huh? She didn't even understand why I was paging her. Or why I wasn't more upset. She kept asking if I was okay because I was your girl. You didn't even tell her that we never got back together? You're going to have to try a little harder than that, Mark. But between you and me, she wants to be your girl. I could see it in her eyes."

She heard the swoosh of the door sliding open. "I love you, but you're an idiot. So you better wake up and not be an idiot," she added in a whisper before standing and turning to Callie. "He's all yours.

"You don't have to leave, little Grey," Callie said. But she did want time alone with him. To yell at him, and to cry, and to just be with him.

"It's okay, I said what I needed to say. Besides," she smiled sadly. "I think he wants to be alone with his girl." Lexie left the room and took one last look over her shoulder to see Callie taking Mark's hand. They were both idiots.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry," she said finally. "I'm so sorry. You've always been there. You've listened to every gripe and worry, every happy moment, every time I told you too much. You've been there through every single love interest, every heartbreak. You've gotten me through everything. And when you needed me to listen, to hear you, I shrugged you off, avoided you, ignored you. I didn't hear what you were trying to tell me.<p>

"Arizona was still plaguing my mind. She still is but there is always someone else. More and more I find that it's the someone else taking up most of the room. I can't stop thinking about you either. You've always been my rebound guy. You've always gotten me back into action. I didn't want for you to be that this time. So I ignored what I was feeling because I thought…you wanted Lexie. And we've never been more than friends before. And now you're in a coma and I don't know if you're going to wake up. And Lexie just told me that you're in love with me.

"Please," tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Please be okay. I need you to be okay. Because you make me okay and I don't know what I'll be if you don't wake up. So I need you to wake up and be okay. Please?"

She stopped in on him every hour, but nothing changed in three days. Derek warned her that it would most likely be a few days before they woke him up, but she didn't care. On the off chance that he miraculously fought the coma, she was going to be there. But he was always asleep. Lexie told her she would page her if there was a change while she was in surgery. It slightly scared Callie, how okay with this Lexie was. Lexie should have every reason to hate her, but she didn't.

Callie didn't go home. At three in the morning, Teresa called her. Exhausted, she answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Where are you?" the squawking voice on the other end demanded.

"At work?"

"At three am? You've been there for like three days," Teresa barked.

"Mark was in an accident."

"Yes I know, the excuse is old now honey. You could've called me."

"I've been preoccupied," Callie snapped, exhaustion doing for her what she couldn't do herself. "This thing you and I have going, it's over. I don't really think it ever got started. Don't call me again." She hung up and rolled over in her bunk. It was going to be a long night and she needed to get some sleep. She felt bad that she didn't feel bad about how she had just broken up with Teresa, but when she remembered how irritating the other woman was, her guilt subsided. It was nothing compared to how she felt about what she'd done, or hadn't done rather, for Mark. "Please wake up."

The next day, when she went to see him, she half expected something to happen. But it didn't. The rhythmic beeping of his heart on the monitor and the rise and fall of his chest were the only reasons she believed he was still alive. He was her person. She reached up and ran her fingers through his grey hair. It needed to be cut; it was getting shaggy on him. As much as Mark wanted to, he would never be able to pull off the McDreamy look. But he was her McSteamy.

The things Lexie had told her didn't really shock her. She saw the way he looked at her. There were times when she had to avoid eye contact with him because she knew he would send chills up her spine. He adored her. And though she had a terrible way of showing it, she adored him. The sound of his voice would make her turn her head. The smell of his cologne in the air would make her lose her train of thought. His smile would leave her dazed. Even still, after all these years.

Catching herself, she wondered how she could have so easily forgotten to think about Arizona. And then she looked down at the man laying the hospital bed and she knew. Mark was air, Mark was oxygen. Take away her oxygen, and she wouldn't live very long. She didn't have a chance without Mark. "Please wake up. I need you."

* * *

><p>A resident or an intern was stationed to page her that day with any news. Her schedule was packed and she didn't have a break or chance to leave her wing or the surgical floor for the better part of the day. The long winding hospital corridors seemed empty without his boisterous laughter. She missed talking to him, and having him talk back. It left her to herself a lot, with too much on her mind. She wasn't sure of what she felt for Mark, and her heart was still tripped up by her feelings for Arizona. Love, she knew she loved him as her best friend, a close friend, but did that love run deeper? Had her feelings grown over the years without her realizing it? Had Arizona been masking them? She loved Arizona. She knew that with all of her heart. But did she love Arizona more than she loved Mark? Did she love them the same way?<p>

By the time her break rolled around, her head was spinning so badly that she thought she would throw up. She got a page. Derek wanted her in Mark's room. Her heart lifted and suddenly her head didn't feel so bad anymore. They were hopefully going to get him out of the coma today. She ran, ignoring her stomach, taking the stairs two at a time, throwing open doors. Skidding to a halt, she straightened herself before walking into the room. "You paged?"

"Callie?" she heard a weak, raspy voice call out.

Her eyes dropped from a smiling McDreamy to a pale and tired McSteamy. "Mark."

"Hey," he attempted a smile. "Want to explain what the hell happened to me? This bastard won't say a word."

She laughed and sunk down onto the side of the bed. "What do you remember?"

"A helicopter and the landing pad, on my face," he said, closing his eyes when her hands closed around his.

"You fell," she said. She waited for a response. The monitor flat-lined. "Mark?"

"Dammit. Get a crash cart!" Derek yelled. Meredith pulled Callie off the bed and lowered it. "Charge paddles to three hundred."

"Mark!" Callie screamed.

Derek shocked him. No response. "Again, three fifty."

"Mark, you can't do this! Mark!"

"Clear." Derek shocked him again. They waited, watching the monitor. Meredith turned and looked at Callie. Tears were spilling out of her eyes. "Come on, dammit!"

A beep. Followed by another. And another. And another.

They let loose breaths of relief.

"Dammit, Sloan," Callie cursed. "You can't leave me now."

"It's just the stress, Torres," Derek said. "He'll be okay."

"You're a doctor, Derek. Don't make me promises," Callie bit out. They waited for him to come around again, Callie impatiently pacing while Meredith cast worried glances between her and Derek.

"What happened?" Mark asked shakily when he finally came to.

Derek responded, "You crashed on us, old man."

"Wow. Why…I'm really confused."

"You fell out of a helicopter, Mark," Callie said, bluntly. "You've been in a coma for three days. And you just died on me."

He watched her tears falling. "Hey," he gestured her over to him. She crouched down by his head and his hand came up to wipe her tears. "I won't flake out on you. I'm tougher than that."

She kissed his fingers, unaware of her audience. "Don't do that again, Sloan."

"You'd be fine without me," he brushed off her concerns.

Her watery eyes met his and he say what she couldn't yet say. "I would be nothing without you."

"I'm not going anywhere, Cal."

She glared at him. "You do and I'll kill you myself. Got that?"

"Loud and clear."

He was tired. She could see that much. But she didn't want to leave him. Not after that close call. She pleaded with her eyes and Derek nodded his approval. He would come back later and debrief his friend. Signaling to Meredith, they left the room. "I've missed you."

"How is–"

"Shh," she placed a finger over his lips. "Just let me talk until you fall asleep."

He settled back and let her do just that.

"You didn't tell me about you and Lexie. I thought you were with her. And I know, I've been avoiding you. I just, didn't know what to say to you after what you said to me. I still don't know exactly what you meant, but I think I have an idea." She looked down and saw that he was asleep. She smile and laid her head on the bed. "I think I love you too," she whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: _As per request, a longer chapter. You guys are probably not going to like me for where it leaves off, but I'll get over it ;)_

_Thanks for the reviews guys. I know this is a little long for the time between chapters, but I have to work and work doesn't let me write._

_love you guys, enjoy :)_

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><p>Things were awkward. They hadn't spoken about what she had said to him since he'd been released from the hospital. She didn't know where they stood. She didn't know what all he had heard. And she still didn't know exactly how she felt. It was all too confusing. Arizona and Mark were both clogging her head. She felt guilty for feeling anything for Mark. After all the time she'd spent assuring Arizona that they were truly just friends, she couldn't feel anything but guilty. But she knew how he looked at her. She knew that there was more to his jokes than just to get a rise out of her. And she knew that there was more between them than just friendship.<p>

He didn't know what to say to her. He didn't want to push her away again. He couldn't stand not talking to her again. He'd heard most of what she had said to him that night and it was making him believe that may be she really did feel the same way about him. But he couldn't take not being around her anymore; he wanted her in his life.

"I broke up with Teresa," Callie blurted out as they walked home from work.

They shared an apprehensive look before Mark said, "Oh, okay." Reading into what she was saying was not something he should be doing. He didn't know what she was trying to say to him.

"After your accident," she nodded. "She was annoying anyways. Obnoxious. Like those gnats in the summer that swarm you and won't go away no matter how much you swat at them. She was clingy. Class A clinger. She didn't understand my life and …" Callie trailed off. She didn't know what she was trying to say. "I…I broke up with her. I just thought you should know."

"Just like that?" Mark managed to ask despite his confusion.

"Yeah," she looked up at him, unaware of what he wanted her to say. When their eyes met, she felt an overwhelming yearning for him that made her avert her gaze. "I thought you were leaving me."

"What?" he held the door to the apartment building open for her. She continued to amaze him with how confusing she could be.

"Your accident?"

They were back to that again. Mark let the door fall shut behind him. Callie kept bringing them back to that and he didn't know why. He was starting to realize that he didn't know a lot of things. It was like she was trying to tell him something, but for some reason his 'Callie sense' was failing him. It had happened, he was alive. She couldn't let it go. "I won't leave you, Cal."

She narrowed her eyes at him, trying to discern if he was mocking her or not. He really didn't remember. She could still get out of it then, if she wanted. But did she want to? She didn't know. She didn't know much of anything. Silence filled the elevator as they rode up to their floor. He let her walk off and followed her to their doors.

"Well, goodnight," he said, the same way he'd said it for a week now.

"Goodnight," she smiled that smile that made his heart skip a beat. They turned to their doors. Keys slid into locks. "What did you mean?"

The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. They turned back to face each other, Mark's door swinging open behind him. "What?"

"What did you mean?" she asked him desperately. "When you said 'I love you', what did you mean?"

He watched her face with longing eyes. The muscles shifted through confusion and desperation. He watched her fight or flight reflexes working through them. "That I love you."

She closed her eyes out of want and frustration. He needed to say if for her to believe it. Not Lexie, not anyone else. Just him. "Mark."

"Callie." He paused. Her dark eyes opened and met his cool blue ones. She grabbed her bottom lip between her teeth and then took the few steps needed to cross the hall. He fought the shudder that threatened to overtake his muscles as they stood inches from each other. "Would you like to come in?"

He watched the disappointment in her eyes before she said, "Sure."

Smiling, he let her in and then kicked the door shut behind them and sat with her on the couch.

"I don't know where we stand, Mark," she said bluntly.

"I don't know what to say to you, Callie," he said at the same time. Their words ran together. They turned and their eyes met again. He saw it in her eyes. His confidence was shot when it came to her though. He couldn't be the love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy around her. She was different. She was special. His hand shook as he raised it to her hair, his fingers wrapping themselves in the ebony silk. She leaned into his hand.

"I really need to know what you meant, Mark," she whispered.

He moved closer to her, until their lips were again inches apart. He needed to know that she wanted this like he did. After a moment, she lifted her head up, her lips slightly parted. He kissed her, their lips coming together in a familiar and comfortable embrace. She stole the breath from his lungs. Their tongues slid against each other and the jolt she'd never noticed before made her shiver. His hands were in her hair and her fingers were wrapped around his shoulders and neck. She shifted back and he came forward, half on top of her. The yearning that had been lying in wait exploded in her veins. She wanted him, all of him. But not like this. It was different this time. She pulled away, breathless.

"I'm in love with you, Callie," he said, still holding her.

His voice was a whisper against her lips. She pulled herself out from underneath of him. At the door, she paused. "I think I'm in love with you, too."

"Callie."

"Goodnight, Mark," she said before slipping out of his apartment. She quickly entered her own and locked the door. Her legs gave out and she slid to the ground. "I love you." But she wasn't sure who she was saying it to.

"You don't control me anymore," she said, looking up. "I love him. You were so scared that I was going to leave you for him, but it took you leaving me for me to even think about loving him. I can breathe again."

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><p>They were going out with the other attendings for drinks at Joe's to celebrate Derek's grant. She didn't know if they were a couple yet, but she gladly took his offered arm as they headed in. Callie hadn't missed his appraisal of her outfit when she'd met him in the lobby of the hospital. He'd just caught that her shirt fell off her shoulder before she pulled her trademark leather jacket on. His eyes had wandered down from her shoulders to the skirt that wrapped tightly around her ass and legs, stopping a few inches above her knees. Her black leather boots clung to her calves and stooped just below her knees, leaving the perfect amount of skin exposed while making her legs look unbelievable.<p>

He sat next to her, so that he could focus his gaze on something other than her. But it hadn't worked like he thought. His hand kept brushing the exposed skin of her thigh and she kept jumping. As more alcohol worked into her system, her arms were around him constantly. "Okay," he took the drink from her hands and passed it to Teddy, who knocked it back. "No more for you."

"Mark," she whined.

"Let's go dance," he said, laughing. He pulled her onto the floor as a way to kill time and help her sober up at least a little bit before he walked her home. She stumbled against him and fell into his arms.

"You're always catching me," she slurred.

"I always will," he whispered, dangerously close to her lips. But she straightened herself and led him onto the floor sashaying her hips seductively as she went. "Dammit."

* * *

><p>He got her home, slightly more sober than when they had left the bar. Callie headed for her apartment, but he caught her arm. "Come in?"<p>

"Mark, I'm not that drunk," she laughed, shrugging him off and fumbling for her keys. She unlocked her door.

"Please, Cal," he asked, tugging on her.

Her mouth opened, but it took a few seconds for the words to come out. "Okay, if…if you want."

He tugged hard and pulled her tripping into him. "I want."

She flushed and suddenly didn't feel quite so tipsy. When she looked up at him, he was smiling. "Well then okay."

They sat and talked for hours. He didn't even care that the sun was going to rise in three hours and he had to rise with it. Her words were the most beautiful song he had ever heard. His fingers kept ending up on her skin. His eyes landed on her lips more than just a few times.

Callie didn't think she was quite so drunk anymore. In fact, she felt better than she had in a long time. They were talking about things like it was the first time they'd ever met. How had she missed this? The way they connected, the way he made her laugh, the way he made her feel like he was who she had spent her whole life waiting for.

When he touched her it was electric. The way his eyes grazed over her face stoked the fire in her heart. She found herself unconsciously leaning forward, towards his warm strength. She heard him laughing and her eyes wandered the room. They settled on the clock. It was almost four in the morning. "Mark, I should go."

"Don't you want to stay?" he asked, caught off guard.

She smiled. "I would love to, but it's almost four am and you need sleep before your shift."

"I don't mind," he said, asking her to stay with him.

But Callie stood. He had some big surgeries planned that day and needed a few hours of sleep at least. "Goodnight, Mark."

She had made it to the door before he said, "Wait."

Callie turned, looking at him. She watched him stand and walk towards her. She felt his hand wind into her hair and behind her neck. She bit her lip in anticipation of what she knew was coming. Her heartbeat had skyrocketed when he'd started walking towards her. When their lips touched, she gasped. His hand was on her hip, holding her in place. Her arms snaked around his back, one hand eventually making its way up to his neck. Their lips continued to meet in a sweet dance. His tongue ran over her bottom lip before he sucked it between his. A moan built in the back of her throat. She parted her lips, inviting him inside. Their tongues met and the duel of passion exploded as the moan escaped her. He pressed her back against the door and felt her arch against his body. He had missed this. His tongue probed her mouth deeper as her hands wandered down his back.

"Don't you want to stay?" he whispered in her ear again after she pulled off his shirt, her fingers running over the hardened muscles of his chest. His tongue flicked the shell of her ear as he waited for a response. She gasped, pressing herself fully against him.

"No," she said. "I want to have a relationship."

He pulled back from her. He had not expected that response to come out of her. "Okay."

"I don't want to fuck," she tried to explain, breathless. "I want this to last, Mark. If we do this. I don't want to just be fuck buddies again."

His eyes were glued to her, a grin swept over his face. "I want that too, Cal."

Mark watched her look down, her lip grasped firmly between her teeth. Her hands found the bottom hem of her shirt. "I don't want to rush this."

"I don't want to either," he assured her.

"No sex," she said, looking up. "But I'll stay."

His hands met hers and together they lifted her shirt over her head. He pulled her back to him, the feeling of her heated skin against his making his jeans get tighter. He let out a groan as they kissed, his hands roaming the smooth planes of her back. "No sex."

Fog was rolling in over her brain at the feel of his skin against hers. She tried to wrap a leg around him, but her tight skirt wouldn't allow her. Breaking away from him again, she made a quick decision. "My shirt, give me my shirt."

"Why?" he asked, leaning in to kiss her again.

"Mark," she pushed him away. "I'm going to go change. I'll be right back."

"I don't believe you," he said, goading her. "If you want to leave, it'll be without your shirt. I'm holding it hostage."

She reached for it and he kicked it away from her. Callie glared at him. "Mark."

"You could just wear something of mine. You don't have to leave."

"I'll be gone for all of five minutes!" she argued. "I live across the hall."

He eyed her. She lunged for her shirt again and he scooped it up, holding it above her head. "Mine."

"Fine," she snapped, turning and slipping out his front door. He stared after her, amazed that she had actually left without her shirt on.

"Shit," he said. Running to the bedroom, he grabbed dirty clothes off of the floor and straightened the sheets. His jeans were impossibly tight as he wriggled out of them. "No sex," he muttered to himself. "She can't be serious." He splashed cold water on his face and gripped the sink counter.

He didn't understand why all of the sudden, this was so hard. _You've been around her for years, Mark. It's not like this is the first time you've slept with her. _But he felt like a giddy teenager, going out on his first real date. It was back to counting bases and running to tell the guys how far she'd let him go. Callie made him feel like that. Callie made him feel like maybe there was hope for him after all.

This time, Callie was his.

She was his.

* * *

><p>Callie, grateful that she had managed to unlock her door before going over to Mark's, slipped across the hall unnoticed and into her apartment. She shimmied out of her skirt, tripping over it in her attempt to get to her bedroom as fast as possible. She reached down to unzip her boots and realized that she was no longer wearing them. Mark had taken them off earlier, feeling her legs with a steady hand the whole way down. Her heart pounded with the memory. She threw her shirt on the back of the couch. Her bra landed outside her door. Frantic with anticipation, she quickly found her favorite black yoga pants in the heaps of clothes on the floor and pulled them on. Then she found an old stretched out t-shirt and pulled it over her head. He'd seen her in much worse and tonight wasn't about being sexy.<p>

She was quickly coming to regret her decision. "No sex," she repeated like a mantra over and again in her head. Splashing water on her face, she wiped away the bulk of the makeup still clinging to her eyes. The wash cloth slid to the floor when she placed it on the counter and she left it there. "No sex."

A smile spread across her face. They could wait. Her heart was racing like a teenage girl's. They could wait. They'd been together for years, sex and no sex. They could take things slows, have a relationship. This time, Mark was hers. It wasn't an affair. They weren't sex buddies. They were really together. This time, he was hers.

"No sex."

* * *

><p>Somehow, they had managed to control themselves that night. The kissing had led her shirt coming off again, but that's as far as she let it go. It felt good to kiss him again. Still, the guilt clung to her subconscious as she drifted off to sleep with her head on his chest. Mark cradled her, reveling in the feeling of truly being with her again. Guilt was settling into his veins, dueling with how happy he felt. He had sworn to both Arizona and Lexie that there was nothing between him and Callie, but the entire time the two couples had been together he had always second guessed Callie's happiness as well as his own. He knew it was possible to be in love with two people at the same time and had always wondered if maybe Callie felt the same way. It especially hadn't been fair to Lexie; she would have always been second to Callie.<p>

But this, with Callie, felt so right. It was as if the world was sighing, "Finally."

He held her all night while she slept and kissed her awake the next morning. She pushed him away and rolled over, pulling the sleet grey sheets up over her head. "Go away," she whined, grumpy.

He laughed. "I have to go to work. You're welcome to stay here and sleep."

She waved him away from her hideout beneath the sheets. He padded out of the room and she waited until she heard the shower running to remove the sheet from her head. With a gasp of an exhale, she let the tears fall. For a few moments there, while she was still asleep, the kisses had been from Arizona. She had spent her dreams lying in Arizona's arms and it had been Arizona's heartbeat that had lulled her to sleep. And then he'd talked and shattered her illusion. "How long?" she whispered. "How long until this stops? You have to let go of me. You told me to be happy. So let me."

She sighed heavily, turning over and letting sleep claim her again.

Mark found her fast asleep when he returned from his shower. He wanted to see her like this every day. He wanted to be able to crawl into bed next to her for the rest of his life. Before, he knew Callie would always have been in his life, but he never imagined that it could be like this. As he leaned over to kiss her temple, he noticed wet streaks spreading down her cheeks. Concern spread over his face, pulling at the lines by his eyes. He didn't want her upset. Brushing the backs of his fingers against her neck, he whispered goodbye and made a mental note to ask her about what was going on. He knew that when he got home though, she would be gone; bed looking like no one had ever slept in it.

He was right.

Her shoes were missing from the living room. Her shirts were missing from the bedroom floor. The bed was made. He sunk down on her side and lifted the pillow to his nose. A smile broke out across his face. Her scent still lingered there. That would be enough for him. He tugged his shirt over his head and let it fall to the floor as he headed for the shower for the second time that day. Red caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Written in her lipstick on the mirror was a note. _Dinner at 8? My place?_

He looked down at his watch. It was six. He had plenty of time.

* * *

><p>She loved cooking. And her entire apartment smelled like fajitas and corn flour, which she loved even more. Callie hoped that Mark had actually gone into the bathroom and not just fallen asleep on the couch, but he usually took a shower after work. For his sake, he had better have gone into the bathroom. She'd cleaned not only his apartment, but her own. And she'd dolled up, anxiety having set in around one in the afternoon. She'd showered at three, so she had to doll up again. And she cooked him authentic Mexican for dinner, in heels. She'd shaved her legs. For his sake, he had better show up.<p>

A knock on her door at 7:50 saved his well-being. He blew out a nervous breath and chided himself for it. "This is Callie."

When she opened the door, he smiled. For all her breathtaking beauty, she looked as nervous as he felt. "You got my message?"

"Well, I would have preferred for it to have been delivered by a naked model in only heels, but the mirror was a close second," he winked at her and handed her the flowers that had been hidden behind his back. He kissed her cheek. "I'm starving. I can smell all this across the hall."

As she walked away, with her skirt swaying with her hips, he knew that night would not be like the night before. They'd already done this part, the 'get to know you' part. He wanted her.

Dinner wasn't quite ready so he took a seat at the bar and watched her work. She seemed happy enough now, but how he had found her that morning was still bothering him. "Callie, this morning, were you okay?"

"Yeah, why?" she asked, not turning around.

"Because when I came in to kiss you goodbye, you looked like you had been crying."

She turned around. "Yeah, just…a lot going on? I've been thinking a lot about…stuff." She didn't look him in the eye.

"It's Arizona, right?" he asked. He could see right through her. He'd always been able to do that.

She sighed. "Yeah. I dreamt about her last night. It's still going to take some time." She was afraid that he would be offended. Usually the new boyfriend didn't like to hear that his girlfriend was still dreaming about her ex. And she really didn't want to talk about Arizona right now. Not tonight. She wanted to get away from any mention of the blonde tonight.

"It's okay, Cal. I know how much she meant to you. And you can't control your dreams. You can't control where your subconscious takes you when you are asleep. I understand. This is all new. Now in three years, if you're still dreaming about her, then we might have a problem," he winked, making the air lighter between them. "I still think about Lexie from time to time. We both have people to get over."

"Oh, so I only have three years to get over Arizona?" she quipped.

"Mmhmm, I think you should just be able to do it."

"I guess. You're adequate enough in bed to be able to make me forget her for a little while I suppose. Eventually it'll just become so routine that forgetting her will be the norm." She eyed him evilly.

"Adequate, huh?" he got off of his stool. "Really?"

"Yeah," she teased, taking a step back as he walked towards her. He grabbed her in his arms and spun her, pulling her back to his front and leaned down to whisper in her ear. She let out the slightest moan at his words, blushing ferociously. Then he walked back to his spot at the bar and left her standing there. She picked up the food and carried it over to the table.

"So is this it?" she asked him. "Are we 'us'? You know, like a couple?"

"We are if you want to be."

* * *

><p>The air was charged and thick. They could both feel the tension. Every time she smiled his heart jumped. Every time he looked at her, she flushed and ducked her head. Her hair tumbled down and highlighted the cleavage that she'd put on display for him that night. "It's strange."<p>

"What is?" she asked him.

"Being able to look."

She laughed. "You've always looked."

"Yeah, but now I'm allowed to."

She smirked at him, but the anxiety was getting to her. Something just needed to happen already. She stood and made her way to the fridge, sticking her head inside and pretending to be looking for something. She needed a moment.

Intrigued, and seeing his opportunity, he walked over. "Whatcha looking for, Cal?"

She jumped, bumping her head as she stood up. "Ouch. Oh, umm, the uh, the water pitcher."

He nodded to the bar. "You mean, that water pitcher."

"That," she pointed, "could be why I couldn't find it."

"Mmhmm," he hummed. Neither of them moved. He watched her chest rise and fall, her breaths short and shallow. He felt the now familiar tightening of his pants as the thoughts ran madly through his mind of the things he wanted to do to her. "Here we are again."

"So we are," she said, raising her eyes to his. The moment brown saw blue they were moving towards each other. Her hands grabbed his shirt as she pulled him down to her lips. His hands bypassed her hair and went straight for her blouse, pulling it off of her heated body. He pushed her back against the wall, rocking his hips against hers. She groaned into his mouth as their tongues danced.

"No sex?" he questioned before sucking on her neck.

"Uhh, umm."

"Don't deny me again tonight, Callie," he husked, teeth grazing her neck. "I know you want this as bad as I do." His hand was traveling up her leg beneath her skirt and she struggled to put together coherent thoughts. It was his turn to smirk. "Here we go again."

At his comment, she pushed him away. "You want some more?"

He nodded, his mouth suddenly dry.

She pushed her skirt off and stood there naked in her heels. "Is this model enough for you?"

Her raven hair spilled over her shoulders and breasts, her chest heaving lightly. Her eyes smoldered with lust. His eyes were wide as she turned and began slinking off to her bedroom.

"What are you waiting for?" she said a second before she felt herself pressed against a wall again. His hand was between her legs, stroking her clit slowly as his mouth demanded entrance to hers.

"Mark," she gasped out against his lips.

His lips moved to her neck and down to her shoulder where he placed firm bites in time with his strokes. He felt her legs shake and pulled one of them up to wrap around him. She ground her hips against him as his hands found her breasts.

"Slow, slower," she growled at him.

"Animal," he growled back. But he heard the desperation in her voice and hoisted her into his arms. Her other leg wrapped around him and she ground against his erection harder. "Bed?"

"Bed," she agreed before sealing his mouth with hers again.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: _Here you go guys! I'm sorry that it's taken me awhile. I have 13 hour days for the next 13 days and I may have to work Saturday too :( so it might be a little while before the next update, but I've worked long and hard on this one!_

_Enjoy and thank you as always for the reviews!_

* * *

><p>He laid her on the bed, watching the way her hair fanned out. His hands followed the toned muscle of her legs down to her feet, tipping the heels from them. He removed the rest of his clothing before sinking to his knees before her. At a kiss to each foot, she sat up on her elbows to watch him. He rubbed each of her feet while kissing her calves. Moving up her legs, his lips touched behind her knees and up her inner thighs. His hands ran up her body, closing around her breasts. She moaned and let her head fall back. As he gently squeezed and massaged her flesh, he ran his tongue over her slit. Her thighs tightened around his head and he placed little love bites on her skin to make her spread them again.<p>

With a groan, she let her legs fall open. Her hands gripped the silk sheets as his tongue ran over her, circling her clit before dipping down again. She was no stranger to the Sloan Method and he wasn't disappointing her. A few more strokes to her clit had her grinding against him and he lifted himself over top of her body. A hand on her back helped hem move her further onto the bed. She felt his erection against her leg and it fueled her arousal, making her heart thud heavily in her chest. "Mark," she groaned as he kissed her neck, worshipping her body with his hands.

"Callie," he groaned back.

"I want you inside of me," she gasped when his fingers ran lightly down her sides.

"Just let me adore you for a little while longer," he smirked against her skin. Firmly running his tongue over her collarbone, he elicited a shudder from her.

"This is teasing, not adoration," she managed as his fingers began working on her. "Mark."

He knew how to shut her up. His tongue circled her tight nipple before taking it into his mouth. He suckled her expertly, adding his teeth to draw out her pleasure. She gasped out his name again as he sucked harder, using her shaking and arching to gauge how intense his actions were. His finger found her clit and he began stroking her again. She writhed underneath of him. Searching for purchase, she placed kisses on his chest, using her teeth to distract him from the storm that he was brewing in her. Her jaw clamped around his shoulder, bringing him to a complete and shuddering halt. She rolled him over so that she was on top. Ducking her head down to kiss him, she ground her hips against his abs, coating his skin with her wetness.

Still kissing, she slid off of him and laid beside him. She took his shaft in her hand. His hips bucked and she smiled as she stroked him firmly. "Still want to tease, Mark?"

He just groaned as she accentuated her question by squeezing his balls.

"Because I could tease you too," she growled.

"Get on top of me," he breathed, "or I'm getting on top of you."

Grinning deliciously, she slowly lowered herself onto him, hissing in pleasure as her muscles expanded to let him in. She sheathed him completely and rocked her hips against his before ascending, letting him almost slip out of her before repeating the slow process again. She watched his face twist in concentration. Sweat was breaking out on his brow. Her own arousal was skyrocketing. She ground down against him again. "Still like teasing, Mark?"

His eyes met hers and she saw the dangerous spark behind them. He put his thumb to her clit as she sheathed him again and she cried out, head falling back. Her breasts bounced as her chest heaved. He wanted her. "I want to fuck you so hard."

Then she was flipped underneath of him as he drove into her. Their lips met and they swallowed each other's moans of pleasure as he filled her and moved inside of her, her walls clenching around him. One of her hands gripped his back, nails dug into his skin. The other hand was wrapped tightly around the headboard. Gasping for air, she broke away from his kiss. Her orgasm was building to a dangerous level inside of her. His thrusts were getting more uncontrollable, his body was shaking against hers. Pleasure overtook her body. Sweat mixed as their skin slid together. With a growl, he came inside of her. She was so close. His thumb was on her clit again, stroking her hard until she screamed out his name and crashed with him. Gasping for breath, they laid together. She was tucked into his arms, breathing against his chest. He was caught up in the scent of her. Cinnamon and sweat mixed with the intoxicating smell of her arousal was driving him crazy. He wanted to have her again and again.

"That was…wow," she murmured. "I'd forgotten what sex with you was like."

"Better?"

"Different." He accepted that. He knew that he pleased her in bed. Tonight had been relatively calm compared to some of their past sexual exploits. She had an unappeasable libido and it had led them on some interesting ventures in the past, ones that he was more than thrilled to have a chance at again. She grabbed the sheets and pulled them over their cooling bodies. "I'm sorry about this morning. I don't mean to get stuck on her."

"She was your life for a long time."

"Not so long." After a pause, she asked, "Do you think we're making a mistake?" It was sudden, and probably not appropriate for the moment, but she needed to ask.

"No," he said.

She smiled. "Me either."

He tilted her head up and kissed her gently. "I love you, Callie. I've always loved you."

"I know," she whispered. "When Hahn showed up, you wanted me, didn't you?"

"But you wanted her."

"You told me that you wished you were all someone thought about," she pressed on, sitting up and looking back at him. "You meant me, didn't you?"

"You were all I thought about," he admitted.

She contemplated that for a while. He had always been in the back of her mind but she never thought that he wanted that with her. A relationship, a committed relationship, with Mark Sloan was that last situation she expected to find herself in. And yet here she was. Post George, and Erica, and now Arizona, she was in an actual relationship with her manwhore. "Don't cheat on me, Sloan."

"What?" he sat up.

"I mean it," she stared him in the eye. "Your manwhore days had better be over."

"I'd never do that to you," he said, taking her hand and threading his fingers with hers. "I'll never hurt you like that, Cal."

"I love you, Sloan," she kissed him.

"Wanna get married?" he waggled his eyebrows at her.

Leave it to him to ruin the moment. She pushed him back onto the bed. "In your dreams."

As he watched her climb out of bed and head to the bathroom, he couldn't stop the thought from running through his mind. _You are my dreams, Callie_.

* * *

><p>She turned the water on in the shower. She was sticky and sweaty and needed to think. The truth was, she could see herself marrying Mark. She'd always been able to see that, in the back of her mind. But she had never thought that she wanted to. After George, she had seen herself with Mark, maybe even falling in love with him. But Mark didn't settle down, and Mark had never made a move.<p>

Arizona had come after her in a bar. Arizona had given her a chance. Arizona had loved her, or at least she thought she had. Now she wasn't so sure. Maybe her definition of love was different than the blonde's, but to her, love didn't walk away. When she thought of love, she thought of Mark, not Arizona. Mark never walked away, not even when Callie asked him to. But she couldn't jump into another relationship head first. They needed time to grow together. Maybe she was being overly cautious, but she couldn't take another broken heart, and she especially couldn't take one from Mark.

As the water pounded into her back, she allowed herself to forget Arizona. She allowed herself the moment to imagine life with Mark. She imagined herself two years in the future, hanging on his arm at professional functions, dancing with him on polished floors, waking up to him in the morning, making sure his dry cleaning got picked up, and that he got fed adequate meals. Then she looked ten years in the future. She could see a house, ten minutes from work. She could see kids, and a dog. She could see them at the top of their fields. She could see them.

"Callie?"

His voice cut through the steam. She looked down at her red skin and wondered how long she'd been there for. She pressed her forehead to the shower tile. "Yeah?"

"You sure you're okay?" she could hear the concern in his voice.

"Just thinking." He would only let Arizona slide for so long.

The shower door popped open and he slide in beside her. She tensed, not ready to have this conversation. He didn't say a thing to her though, but raised his hands to her shoulders and began rubbing. His thumbs worked in steady circles, kneading out her muscles as she slowly relaxed. His fingers worked down her spine, kneading every inch of muscle out across her back. Then he picked up her cinnamon body gel and lathered it between his hands. Starting back at her shoulders, he worked it into her skin. He caressed every part of her body, having her turn to face him. No hint of sexual innuendo was in his touch. Then he took her shampoo and massaged her scalp as he worked the liquid deep into the roots of her long black hair. She tilted her head back and he helped her rinse it out, repeating the process with her conditioner.

As water ran down her face, she kissed him. Trying to convey everything she needed to say, she pressed herself to him, her arms around his neck. It was a slow firm kiss, no hint of passion and yet it stole his breath all the same. He didn't know if it was just the water, or if she was crying, but she hid her head in his neck and he held her. Silence, surrounded by the pounding beat of water on their skin, kept them equal. His hands glided over her back as he rubbed her.

"You feel guilty," he whispered. She nodded. "I do too."

"Are we doing the right thing, Mark? Or are we running back to something familiar because it's better than the unknown even if it's wrong?"

"What do you think?" his lips grazed her ear.

"I don't know."

He sighed and held her more tightly. "What do you know?"

"That I love you. And that I can see a life with you. But I loved her, I love her, and I could see a life with her too. Except she left and you didn't. But what is she comes back? She'll be the only one who ever has."

"But I'm the only one who never left."

"So was she, until she did."

He couldn't argue with that, but he knew that Callie and Arizona would never be Callie and Arizona again. Not after this, what they were doing. "Do you think she'll come back?"

"I want to hope. But no, no I don't think she will."

"She then what is this, Cal?"

"Should I have gone after her?" Callie looked up.

He looked down at her face resting against him. "No. You did what you felt was right. She left anyways."

"I just…"

"You need time," he nodded, kissing her cheek. "I know."

"Tell me about what happened with Lexie," she said.

Chuckling, he responded, "Sure, but how about we get out of the water and back into bed. You're turning all pruney."

"Hey," she swatted at him.

"A very sexy prune, but a prune nonetheless," he replied, reaching around her to turn off the water. He got out of the shower and dried off quickly before grabbing a fluffy towel and drying her off. They slid into her silk sheets and spooned while he told her about Lexie.

"When I told you I wanted to marry her, I was serious. I thought my chance had come and was long gone with you. I'd moved on from that idea, I thought. I was in love with Lexie, but even she knew it. I would always put you first. I would always belong to you too. She would have to share me and that wasn't fair to her. Even she knew that I was in love with you too. She told me to stop chasing her when she wasn't the prize I wanted. But I guess I love you was too much right off the bat for you, huh?"

"You think, Mark? I had no idea what to do with that. You freaked me the hell out. And then your accident and Little Grey telling me that I'm an idiot because I can't see that you're in love with me. Well maybe I'm in love with you too, but I never knew how to tell you. Maybe we're both the same."

"You don't have to hide anymore."

"But I do. Because I can't have another broken heart, Mark. If you break my heart, if you decide you really do want Lexie again, I won't recover. You're my last hope."

"So you need time."

"I need time," she said, softly and finally. Her eyes drifted shut as she snuggled against him.

"As long as I get you in the end, I have all the time in the world, Callie."

* * *

><p>Callie managed to avoid Lexie at work as she and Mark began to get serious. She knew that the younger Grey understood, but she still felt guilty over the whole situation all the same. They had put so much time and energy into making everyone believe that they were just friends. It was like they had hoodwinked the world into believing a lie and were now removing the blinders. The hospital was abuzz with talk of them.<p>

"Did you hear about Torres and Sloan?"

"Yeah, what happened to her being a lesbian?"

"It's about time."

"I always knew they'd be together in the end. They hung all over each other no matter who they were dating."

"Lexie is really upset."

"I heard she was thrilled."

"They finally grew up."

There had always been gossip, but this was a new breed. People were taking sides and betting as to how long they'd be together and if Mark would end up cheating on her or if another lesbian would steal an apparently confused Callie away again.

"Or worse," one nurse said. "What happens when Arizona comes back from Africa? What will she think about this?"

"I'm sure," Callie snapped, turning venomous. "That she already knows about it. Yeah, I can hear you leeches.

"I can assure you that Doctor Altman has already informed her sometime within the last three months that Doctor Sloan and I are together! And I can assure you that when she comes back from Africa, it won't matter what she has to say, or what she feels. Because she left me! Or did we all forget that part?"

Mark caught the tail end of her outburst and had come to her side, sliding his fingers into her fist and twining them with hers. "Come on, Cal. Don't make a scene." He dragged her away, to an on call room, so that she could cool off.

"I'm sick of it, Mark. They always talk about me. It doesn't matter who I'm with or where I am. When George cheated on me with Stevens and I wanted to talk to her about it, it wasn't them they badmouthed. It was me and how I was going to kiss Steven's ass."

"Callie."

"They took bets!"

"Callie. That was years ago. You've got to leave the past in the past. Look at the present, the future. Stop letting them get to you."

"I'm just tired of it, Mark. I'm just tired."

"We could get married," he shrugged. "That'd give them something to talk about."

"Could you stop, already? Unless you're serious, in which case I'd have to say no because these are the worst proposals ever. Another shot gun wedding is not going to make this okay. Just please, stop. I can't deal with this right now," Callie flung the door open and let it slam behind her.

With a drop of his head and a long sigh he followed, feeling as empty inside as the room he was leaving. It was too soon for them. Or else, all his talks of marriage were too much for her. _Arizona proposed right before she left you idiot_. People parted quickly as she stalked down the hall and he had to stifle a laugh. She was badass, but as much as he wanted, she wasn't his yet. Something had to happen, something need to cement them in her mind.

* * *

><p>She ignored his advances and kept to herself for the next few weeks. He was desperately trying to give her the time that she needed, but his patience was wearing then. She was so caught up in Arizona and what people thought of her that she couldn't see what was right in front of her. Dinners were lonely and the nights were worse without her. It was time for her to make a decision but he didn't know if he could be the one to push to it. That was why he was pacing the hall outside of her apartment. That was why he'd been pacing the hall for the past hour.<p>

His eyes settled on the numbers of her door and he steeled himself for the heartbreaking blow that she could deal him if she said no. Knocking on the door, he waited.

Her weak gaze met his when she opened the door. "Mark?"

"Can I come in?"

Sighing in easily defeat, she stood back and he let himself into her apartment. "What's up?"

"Callie, we need to talk."

"Mark?"

"Me or her, Cal?" It came out harder than he meant.

She looked at him in shock. "Mark."

"Me or her, Callie? I can't wait forever just to know if I have you."

"If you loved me, then you wouldn't do this to me."

"No, don't play that card," he snapped. "I do love you. I can't stand to be without you. So I have to do this to you. I have to push you, because you aren't pushing yourself."

She closed her tired eyes and sunk into the armchair. "Not tonight, Mark."

"No, tonight," he walked over and placed his hands on either arm of the chair, trapping her. "I have spent years wanting you to be happy. It was more important that you were happy. But I want you to be happy with me. Because I love you and I know that you can be happy with me. We're right on the edge, Callie. We could jump and take that step, and fall in love. Or we can walk away and never know. This is dangerous, I get that. But this is the moment of truth. Take my hand and jump."

"Mark," she tried to get up, but he wouldn't let her. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you."

He said it with such conviction and pure honesty that she couldn't help her breath catching. "Mark." As her head fell forward he caught it in his hand, brushing away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.

He hated doing this to her, but for both of their sakes it needed to be done. She couldn't hang in limbo forever. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to love her. "Callie look at me."

Her watery eyes met his.

"Me or her?"

She was silent, her eyes piercing his. He felt like she was staring into his soul, as if that could prove how much he loved her and was devoted to her. As if the years that he had spent by her side were mere coincidence and she needed more.

He held out his hand to her. "Jump with me."

Her eyes never left his as she shakily placed her hand against his palm. "She left me. You still haven't."

He waited.

"You."

His hand tightened around hers and he pulled her up into his arms. "I love you," he whispered into her hair.

"Don't make me regret it, Sloan."

"You never will, Torres."

They swayed in silence for a moment before he had an idea. He turned and picked up the remote for her speakers. Her iPod kicked on and he let the music decide the mood. It sounded like water trickling over a crystal fountain and he took her in his arms again.

_You're in my arms and all the world is calm  
>The music playing on for only two<br>So close together and when I'm with you  
>So close to feeling alive<em>

The words were so true to them. When they were together like this, the world was at peace. He felt the serenity in everything. He spun her and pulled her back to him, continuing to sway with her wrapped protectively in his arms.

_A life goes by, romantic dreams must die  
>So I bed mine goodbye and never knew<br>So close was waiting, waiting here with you  
>And now forever I know<br>All that I wanted, to hold you so close_

She knew that this was where she was supposed to be. Wrapped in his protective embrace, swaying to the perfect music. He'd always been there, waiting for her to look up and see him. She let her dreams of Arizona escape from her mind, letting Mark fill the space instead. He loved her and adored her. And she wanted to be with him.

_So close to reaching that famous happy ending  
>Almost believing that this was not pretend<br>Now you're beside me and look how far we've come  
>So far, we are so close<em>

He laughed as she tried to waltz with him around the room, pulling his two left feet forward. She twirled and he pulled her back to his front, cradling her gently as she continued to lead their footwork. Murmuring sweet nothings in her hair, she let her pull him slowly around the room to the instrumental music.

_Oh how could I face the faceless days  
>If I should lose you now?<em>

The music faded into the background as she looked back at him, lifting her head to meet his lips in a sensual kiss. She forgot that they were dancing as she leaned into him, kissing him deeply. His arms around her stomach pulled her more tightly against him. Her hand on his jaw pulled him in for another kiss, and another. When they broke away, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. She stood with him for a moment, embracing the last of the slow melody.

"Can I move in with you?"


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: _There is a big time jump in here, so be on the look out for it. We are getting closer to some of the major tension that leads to the climax, not much longer to go folks._

_Love you guys and all the reviews :)_

* * *

><p>Mark stared at her for a minute, not believing that she had actually said the words. Callie jumped into things, but he thought she was going about them differently this time. He didn't want to rush this with her; he wanted them to last a lifetime.<p>

Turning in his arms, Callie laid her hands on his shoulders. "Can I?"

"I thought you didn't want to rush things," he said softly. His hands drifted down to her hips.

"I don't," Callie replied. "But I can't breathe here. She's everywhere, Mark."

"My place is so small though," he said. Honestly, he'd always thought that he would move in with her. If they were serious about this, his place would be much too small for a future.

"Yeah," she said absently. His dismissal was in his avoidance. He didn't want to move in together. Her mind was wandering, wondering how she could get away from this place. "Wait…too small for what?"

"Umm," he choked. He didn't want to say this so soon, but ever since they'd gotten together he'd been thinking about the little kids they would have. "Nothing. I just don't really like it. Your place is so much bigger, more open. More rooms."

"It has nice features," she agreed, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. _He wants kids,_ she said to herself, heart fluttering. How could she have truly never before seen how well matched they were? They wanted the same things out of life. Hell, they'd almost been parents when Sloane's son was born. He wanted kids, with her. He wanted a future with her. She looked up at him. "Move in with me."

"What?" he shook his head. "No. We're rushing things. You're jumping in instead of testing the waters."

"I've had time," Callie said. "I've had years of time."

He was listening now.

"We've been best friends for years, Mark. It's like falling in love with someone I already know so well I can't believe it didn't happen before. It's exactly that. You said that one day I'd look back and understand why she left. It's so we could be together. Actions have consequences, and if falling in love with you is the consequence for being your friend, then I'm ready."

"She hasn't even been gone for a year yet."

"So?" Callie asked. "She's still gone. And you? I love you. And I know you. And you're here."

"So I'm a replacement?" he threw at her. Hurt flashed in her eyes. "I don't want to rush into things. I don't want there to be one part of us that you regret." More than anything, he wanted to move in with her. Hell, he wanted to marry her. But Callie was right when she said it a month ago. A shot gun wedding wouldn't solve anything for her. "Let's wait, just a little longer. Let's be us, a happy couple, for a little while. Then we'll move in together."

"You promise?"

"Yeah," he smiled at her, kissing her forehead. "I promise. We have time, Cal."

* * *

><p>Callie eventually relented that night. And she had every night since. For months she had relented because instead of rushing into things, now she was dragging them out. She didn't know what the happy medium was between the two and now she didn't know how to ask him to take the next step. She hadn't wanted to rush anything, but in her mind it felt like things were just dragging between them. There was so little that they didn't already know. They mystery that normally accompanied this stage of a relationship was severely lacking. She wanted to know everything about him. There were things about him that he refused to explain. She wanted to know those things. One night at dinner a little kid had been crying and his father had finally flipped on him. Though Mark didn't know it, Callie had seen how violently he flinched. She wanted to know why.<p>

Cuddling with him on the couch, she asked, "Mark?"

"Cal?"

She smiled; he was the only one who called her that. "Tell me about your childhood." She felt him tense and knew that he was preparing for a fight. "Please."

"Why?"

"Because we've been together for a year and a half and I don't know why you tense when parents scream at their kids," she said softly, running her fingers lightly over his arms wrapped around her.

"I don't like talking about it, Callie. My parents weren't around. It doesn't matter," he said.

"It does," she nuzzled against his shoulder. "I won't make you tell me."

"Thank you."

"But I still want to know," she followed up. Turning to place a kiss against his scruffy cheek, she stretched and stood. "I'm going to go get ready for bed."

He watched her stand. "Your place or mine?"

"I'll come back here if you want," she said, heading for the door. "You have an early shift tomorrow."

"Okay."

She had been planning on asking him to move in with her again, but his inability to trust her with the small details of his past angered her. Mark knew everything about her. He knew that the scar on her knee came from an accident when she was seven. She'd fallen off her bike and landed on a rusty nail. He knew that she'd been lonely as a child. She hadn't had many friends because of how rich her parents were and how smart she was. But Aria had been and Callie had always been jealous of her. He knew that she had wanted to be a doctor since her stint in the Peace Corps, but before that she'd had no idea where she wanted life to take her. He knew that she hated broccoli because when she was six her cousin told her that it would grow into a tree in her stomach. She used to collect sand dollars. He knew that though her father had worked a lot, he'd never been absent from her life and they had a close bond. He knew that she'd had a German Shepherd named Dane when she was a kid, and that he'd died from cancer.

But she knew nothing about him. He wouldn't tell her anything. She was supposed to be his best friend and she didn't even know if he had pets as a kid. It was something that she'd repeatedly asked him and he'd fervently avoided answering. Sighing in frustration, she scrubbed the makeup from her face. They had been going so well. This little roadblock seemed so inconsequential but it was a big deal to her. She wanted him to trust her with the things that no one else knew. She wanted him to trust her the way that she trusted him. Trust was a big deal to her.

Sliding into pajamas and throwing a sweatshirt on, she padded back across the hall and opened the door. It was dark in the apartment. The only light was coming from the candles on the coffee table. She closed the door behind her hesitantly and let the residing darkness envelope her. "Mark?"

"Bedroom," his gruff voice answered. "But stay where you are."

She leaned back against the door, admiring the setup. It was certainly mysterious. And she was duly confused. He had an early shift the next day, so they wouldn't be having a late night.

"I'm coming."

She shivered. His voice was closer. It was incredibly sexy.

"Walk over to the back of the couch and stand facing the tv," he instructed from wherever he was hidden. She did as she was bidden. As she let the light take her, he saw that she was in a sweatshirt and told her to take it off.

Callie wanted to know where he was. This was spooky. She didn't have control and she didn't like it. But it exhilarated her just the same.

She pulled off the sweatshirt and dropped it onto the couch. The apartment was cool and she shivered again because of the air drifting across her skin. He took stock of the red silk cami she had on that matched the black booty shorts he was sure she wasn't wearing anything underneath of. He stepped up behind her slowly and quietly, noticing how the muscles in her shoulders tensed when she felt his presence. He raised his hands and lowered the black silk scarf over her eyes, effectively blinding her completely. Her quick fingers grabbed his wrists before he could knot it. "Do you trust me?"

His whispered words licked her ears. "Completely."

Her hands fells away and he tired the scarf in a firm knot behind her head. He ran his hands down her neck, across her shoulders, and down her arms. His thumbs brushed the sides of her breasts as he went. A gasp left her mouth. She'd never done something so sensual with a lover before. His hands slid over her stomach and up her sides, his thumbs brushing over her nipples this time before his hands came together behind her neck. He had her trapped and it took a second before she realized it. The basics of fear tugged at her, but she willed herself to relax.

"I have you," he whispered, tongue dancing over her ear. "I want to make you mine."

His words sent her arousal high, but he confused her. "I am yours."

He ground his hips against her ass. She could feel his bulge growing harder. A flush of wet heat rushed through her and settled between her thighs. "I want to touch you, all over, I want to claim every inch of you as mine."

"Take me," she whispered back. He put the slightest pressure on her neck and drew her shoulders back. She felt his breath on her chest as he watched her breasts rise and fall. Then he released his hold on her and molded her breasts with his hands, causing her to groan and he ground against her. His lips were on her neck and shoulders, kissing and biting. He was going to leave very visible marks, and she knew he didn't care tonight.

Finally, she turned in his arms and his lips met hers. Not being able to see was driving her crazy. She ground her hips into his erection and caught his complimentary groan in her mouth. His hands slid down to cup her ass and pull her against him more firmly while his mouth continued its exploration.

He felt her smirk against his lips before she sunk down onto her knees. Her practiced hands didn't need to be able to see in order to rid him of his jeans and underwear. He braced himself on the back of the couch as he felt her tongue run along his shaft from base to tip and back again. Her fingers had his balls loosely, squeezing them gently as she swirled her tongue over his head before taking him slowly into her mouth. He growled in appreciation. Usually, the animalistic pleasure that she got from doing this to him was evident in her eyes and drove him crazy. But as he looked down at her pleasuring him blindfolded in the candlelight, it drove him mad. He resisted taking her head in his hands and driving into her hot mouth, instead letting her slowly work him up as she sucked and licked, taking him deeply into her throat. He felt himself building for release, but he didn't want their night to be over so soon.

Withdrawing from her mouth, he pulled her back up to him, taking her cami off as he did. She hissed as the cool air raced over her skin and he grinned with lust as her dark nipples constricted. He beckoned her to follow him, leading her back to the bedroom. Positioning her in the middle of his bed, he took another scarf and bound her hands to the headboard. He watched her skin flush when she tested the restraint and found herself unable to get free. Then he swiftly removed her booty shorts and plunged a finger into her wet core. She squealed in surprise before settling onto him.

"Don't be too loud," Mark whispered, moving inside of her.

"Or what?"

"I'll have to gag you," he said, adding another finger to his short thrusts.

"Mmm," she moaned as this thumb came in contact with her clit. Her body began to quake as he brought her to the edge. He rode out her first orgasm with her, his erection throbbing. He wanted to be inside of her.

But he had other plans for her first. He began kissing her, starting at her lips and working his way across her face. He kissed every part of her body, paying special attention to the areas of her that he knew were the most sensitive. She twisted and arched beneath him as he worshipped her body, her arousal reaching an uncontainable level. As his mouth wandered over her hips, she began whimpering with need. She wanted him inside of her, moving and filling her; but in her current state she was unable to persuade him to move faster. His languid caresses continued down her legs and to her feet, where he sucked on her instep and ran his tongue against her toes.

"Mark," she begged. "Mark, please."

He loved it when she begged, and he pretended that he didn't hear her. His hands wandered over her legs as her begging grew more insistent. Finally, relenting a bit, he lapped at her, lazily circling her clit with his tongue. It brought her little relief and a great deal more frustration.

"Mark, Mark," she called. He teased her hole with his tongue before stroking her clit again. She was fighting the restraints, but he knew she wouldn't break them.

Then he was by her head, whispering seductively. "What do you want, Callie?"

"Please Mark," she shifted her hips, trying to grind against him.

He pressed her hips back down. "Please what?"

"Fuck me, Mark. Fuck me," she begged. He slid inside of her easily and she fought the scream that was building in the back of her throat. He felt so good inside of her, filling her. She rocked her hips, but his hands again steadied her.

"Not so fast," he said before kissing her. His pace was maddeningly slow and tears of frustration slid past the blindfold.

"Mark, please!" she cried. It hurt so good, but she needed release. She needed him to make her come.

"Please what?"

"Make me scream your name, make me come," she begged. Obliging her request, he let go of his control and bucked his hips, thrusting deeply into her. They both crashed over the edge quickly. She felt him pouring into her. They collapsed together, sweaty and satisfied. He reached up, untied her from the headboard, and removed the blindfold.

* * *

><p>"I had an iguana," he had said at lunch the next day.<p>

She was certain that the look she'd given him was comical. "What?"

"As a kid, I had an iguana," he said. "I loved her. But I never named her, because things in my life were never permanent. My parents, friends, toys, food, whatever. But that iguana stuck around. I would walk around with her on my shirt. This kid was picking on me once and she bit him."

She had laughed with him, filing away the moment. He was sharing with her and she would never not appreciate it. It had plagued her mind all day, and while they were laying in bed that night he turned to her and simply said, "I loved my dad."

"Yeah."

"I just wanted him to love me to, you know?"

Callie turned over to look at him. "How do you know he didn't?"

Mark laughed. "My dad was an alcoholic. He…he never did anything for me. He'll never get off the couch again. I played baseball. I was on the all-star team, and he never came to a game. He never had anything good to say to me. By the time I was seven, I gave up on him. I always hoped, but after you've been hit so many time you just kind of give up."

Callie listened in silence as Mark detailed his past for her. It seemed that once he got himself going, he couldn't stop. She understood why he kept it so close to his heart. His mom had been there slightly more for him, but Callie couldn't imagine being six and making her own dinner every night. His eyes sparkled when Derek came into the story. Derek's mother had welcomed Mark into the family like he was her son. She had given him a home and safety.

When he grew quiet was when she dared to speak. She kissed him gently before saying, "Thank you."

"I don't want my kids to go through that," he said.

"Our kids won't," she said, the words slipping out. They stared at each other for a moment. They both wanted it, they both knew it.

"Callie."

"Move in with me, Mark," she said. "It's been a year since we decided to wait. Move in with me. We've waited long enough. Too long."

He smiled at her. It had been a year and a half that they'd been together. It had been a year and a half that he'd been able to call her his. A year and a half of plans that were slowly coming together in his mind. "Okay."

They snuggled after that, talking quietly. Callie was content and happy, drifting off to sleep. It had been a good day. She pulled the sheets up to her chin and shifted herself to a more comfortable position.

Mark suddenly realized what the date was, but he tried to not let it show to his sleepy Callie. Arizona had left her two years ago. It was only another year until she came back and the true test began for Callie. He placed kisses in her hair and rubbed her back as her breathing evened out and he knew she was asleep.

"Damn you, Africa."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: _This is a slightly shorter chapter, but chapter 8 will be up in the next two days, because it's already done. My beta felt like another chapter needed to come before it, so this is the product. Now I'm off to bed because I have to be up for work in four hours. I hope you all enjoy this :)_

* * *

><p><em>Meet me outside at five?<em>

His note shone brightly on the glass when the morning sun splashed against it. She picked the paper off the mirror and smiled. Mark was rarely one for romantic gestures outside of flowers and this left her curious. Callie tucked the paper into her back jeans pocket and grabbed her make up off the counter so that she could continue getting ready for work. He hadn't kissed her good morning, but then he'd had to be up at five and she didn't have to be up until nine. But when he threw the sheets off of him and rolled out of bed she had woken up. He'd grumpily told her to go back to sleep. Mark was a morning person, but not at that early in the morning. He seemed to be getting a lot of early shifts recently and they couldn't figure out why. Callie had told him to go talk to the Chief, but he hadn't yet to her knowledge. She ran the tube of lipstick over her lips and then thought a second. Reaching up, she drew a heart on the mirror for him when he got home. Inside she wrote _Happy Anniversary_.

It had been two years since she had thrown caution to the wind and decided to follow her heart when it came it him. She had been too careful, she still was. Her heart had been broken too many times and when it came to Mark, she couldn't stand the thought of him leaving her. Yet, she still held back. She was his, completely, but something was keeping her from giving him her heart wholly. That something was Arizona, because she didn't know what would happen when the blonde came back from Africa. She didn't think she was that easy, but when it came to Arizona, she didn't know how much of a hold was still on her heart.

How wrong was that? She mentally berated herself every day for it. She'd been with Mark for two years and yet she still couldn't believe that Arizona was really gone and still felt like she was having to start over. Her mindset had been shattered. But when she woke up next to him, it felt right. When they walked home together hand in hand, it felt like they'd be together for the rest of their lives. Arizona had messed her up and she didn't know how to get back to normal. When Mark kissed her cheek she felt the butterflies and fought to quiet them. When he danced with her, she never wanted to stop. When he studied her, she was deathly afraid that he was going to ask her some huge question about marriage or kids. But she wanted his kids. She wanted to marry him, eventually. She wanted him to be her future. She had chosen him over the possibility of Arizona and she was happy. She was truly happy.

_I am truly bipolar_, she thought to herself. Throwing her hands up, the lipstick flew into the air and rolled underneath the dresser upon contact with the ground. Groaning, she got down on her hands and knees and searched with her hand for the object. Instead of the cool metal tube, she felt paper and pulled it out. She recognized Mark's handwriting. There was a phone number and some other notes and numbers. She separated the papers and saw directions. Her heart dropped. This was not happening. Her computer was sitting open on the bar and she hopped onto a stool to look up the address. It was about twenty minutes away, near the water. Doing a reverse look up, she realized that the phone number was located at the address. Confusion wrapped itself around her mind. She walked back into the bedroom and got dressed, trying to process. Her head immediately jumped to conclusions, but Mark deserved the benefit of the doubt. But as she looked at the lipstick heart on the mirror, impulse drove her to wipe it away.

She locked the door behind her and walked to the elevator. The guy who lived four doors down walked out slightly after her and whistled at her. She sashayed for him, in some battle of revenge against Mark. He was doing something behind her back. She just didn't know what yet. Choosing to drive to work that day, she whipped into her parking spot and hurried into the building. Making a bee line for her office to avoid the possibility of seeing him, she shed her leather coat and donned her scrubs and lab coat. She had a string of difficult cases today, and was grateful for the distraction.

* * *

><p>Mark rushed home after his shift was over at three to get ready for the big night. It was their two year anniversary and he had a lot of plans for them, but his heart dropped when he saw her laptop sitting open with papers covered in his handwriting sitting on the keyboard. The phone number and directions to his surprise for her that night were laying there and he knew what she must have done. And thought. Mentally kicking himself for not getting them from behind the dresser and throwing them away, he walked into the bedroom. He looked up at the mirror. His note was gone. In its place was the smeared red lipstick. She must have written him something and then seen the papers and tried to wipe it away.<p>

Hoping that she was still planning on meeting him, he hopped into the shower. His heart was really racing now. There was no way of telling how much damage control he would have to do to placate her. She was afraid of this kind of thing. It wouldn't take much for him to lose her. She wouldn't wait around to get her heart broken; she would do the breaking first. He couldn't lose her. Not after two years of the happiest times of his life.

* * *

><p>She begrudgingly left with enough time to meet him outside of their building at five. The drive was quick and when she looked up to cross the street from the parking lot, a limousine greeted her. Her jaw dropped. Mark was leaning against it with his usual smirk plastered to his face. She walked up to him, wanting desperately to smack it off of him.<p>

"My lady," he said, offering her his hand and pulling open the door behind him. "Your limousine for tonight's festivities awaits you." She eyed him warily and stepped inside. He slid in beside her and popped a bottle of champagne. He poured some into a crystal glass and handed it to her. With a kiss on her cheek he said, "The driver will take you somewhere so that you can get ready and I'll join you when you're finished."

"Mark!" she called as he stepped out, but then she was being driven away. He smiled and waved at her. "Excuse me," she said to the driver. "Where am I going?"

"Feu et Glace," he replied. "Your boyfriend wants to treat you to a wonderful night tonight, miss."

"I'll bet he does," she sat back, sipping on her champagne. Inside, she was awestruck. Feu et Glace was one of the most expensive shops in Seattle. Someone greeted her when they pulled up and she was ushered inside where a stylist did her makeup, another her hair, and a third her nails. Then she was led into a private room where another stylist found her the most amazing gown.

"Runway, here you come baby," her stylist said, eyes sparkling. She turned and looked in the mirror. The red satin gown hugged her torso and fell to the floor. Black lace accentuated her breasts, waist, and fell down along the skirt. A slit on the side came clear up to her hip. Black gloves up to her mid-forearms completed the dress. When she turned back around, the stylist was holding up a pair of black peep toe stilettoes that would give her a good extra five inches. She slid them on her feet and turned to look back in the mirror. Her jaw dropped while the stylist squealed with joy.

"I can't afford this," she said, self-conscious.

"Oh darling," he said. "It's already paid for."

She smiled. _Mark._ When she was walked outside, Mark was waiting with the limousine in a black tuxedo, red rose pinned to his jacket. He smiled in awe when he saw her and took her hand from the stylist.

"She's all yours."

"She," he said pointedly, "looks beyond amazing." He kissed her cheek gently and whispered in her ear, "But then she always looks beyond amazing."

Callie blushed as Mark helped her into the limousine. This time he slid in with her and pulled the door closed. The driver pulled away from the curb smoothly and Mark pulled her into his arms. He smelled wonderful. His grey eyes sparkled when she looked up at him.

"I would kiss you," he said. "But I don't want to mess up your makeup before we even get where we're going."

"Which is?"

"Well, you looked it up today," he said. "You tell me."

Recognition and fleeting anger flashed in her eyes. "Are you…"

"Callie, how could you ever think I would cheat on something as perfect as you?"

She snorted. "Mark."

"I'm serious, Cal. I would never cheat on you. I've been planning this for a while. I don't know how you didn't pick up on anything before. I would never hurt you like that, Callie. I love you so much," he said. "Oh, and happy anniversary. Which is what I'm pretty sure was written on the mirror before you smeared it off."

"Oh," she ducked her head, embarrassed. "You noticed."

"You missed a few spots," he said, chuckling at her embarrassment. It served her right for thinking that he would cheat on her. They sipped champagne and bantered about work for the duration of their ride. She relaxed into him.

"Tell me one thing," he said after a few moments of comfortable silence.

She pulled away to look at him. "I'm happy."

That made him smile. Usually she questioned his motives and they argued before she would tell him some trifling thing that didn't matter. "You are?"

"I am." The smile that lit up her face was one that he hadn't seen in a long time. It was genuine and true, and bared her soul. "And I was before you dropped boat loads of money on me too."

"You realized that did you?"

"You forgot to tell them to take all the price tags down, sir," she admonished. "But it was wonderful. Thank you."

"Anything for the perfect woman," he said. He felt them slowing and whispered, "I think we are here."

"And where, exactly, is here," she begged for knowledge.

"Well let's see," he smiled coyly. "You're in a gown, and I'm in a tux. I should think we'd be going to a ball."

* * *

><p>They ate, drank, and danced the night away with at least a hundred other people that they didn't know. He had dragged her out onto the floor and taken the lead, surprising her with his ability to waltz her expertly around the room. He divulged that he'd been taking lessons while she was working late shifts instead of sitting at home. "I wanted to surprise you."<p>

"It certainly worked," she laughed as he twirled her. He never took his eyes off of her. She was so happy; she hadn't felt this content with life in a very long time. They were perfect. He was perfect. He had put all of this together for her, dealt with her jealousy, and made her feel amazing all in the span of a few hours. She knew the feeling wasn't going to go away anytime soon. But she was afraid of what was coming. The way he was watching her gave her a funny feeling and she didn't want to know what…thing…was about to come out of his mouth. So she danced with him, and every time he tried to sit down or drag her off somewhere she pulled him into another dance. She just wanted to stay happy.

He finally pulled her out onto the terrace. "Just a breather," he said. "I took lessons, I didn't do endurance training."

She was exhausted too, but she wouldn't admit it. She just didn't want him to ruin the bubble that they were in. He pulled her back to his front and swayed with her to the music in the background. She rocked with him, feeling the encompassing comfort of his embrace. With his arms around her, nothing could touch her. She was safe and home.

"Callie," and the way he said it, she knew what was coming.

"Mark, don't. Please, not tonight. Just, let's stay happy," she begged softly. "I'm not ready and I don't want to say no, so please, not tonight."

He said nothing, but continued to sway with her. After a few more long quiet moments, he led her back out onto the floor where they danced until the band stopped playing.

In the limo on the way home, he acted like nothing had gone wrong that evening but she couldn't help but stay quiet. When he questioned her, she livened up for a few minutes and then sunk back into her thoughts. She didn't know why she wasn't ready, but she couldn't place it.

"Callie."

"I love you," she looked right at him when she said it. "I love you so much." She kissed him full on the mouth.

"I love you, too," he smiled and hugged her.

* * *

><p>Two months later, he hadn't said anything to her about it. She was breathing easy knowing that he wasn't likely to mention it until she did. But he'd brought her flowers on her birthday, like he always did. Except it was three dozen blood red roses that he'd had delivered to work. And then he'd cooked her dinner when she'd brought them home. They took walks in the park and down to the pier. He'd won her a stuffed monkey at the arcade when they'd gone for fun.<p>

The little moments with him were making her happier than she'd ever been before in her life.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: _And the other foot falls...dun dun dun. I hope you guys liked their cute little date. And I hope you also caught on that Mark was going to propose. another dun dun dun._

_Now, don't expect another back to back update like this, but this chapter was done and I wanted to go ahead and post it. We are drawing to a decidedly shorter close than I previously thought._

_Enjoy._

* * *

><p>The sun was shining. It was a clear day in Seattle. But the looming anxiety that spelled disaster for them was clinging to the air like a heavy humidity that warns of a terrible storm. It was like those storm clouds that often hang on the horizon and you don't know which way they will blow. And this seemingly happy day would come crashing down. Mark couldn't focus on anything. Callie had been irritable at best and depressing at worst for the past week. So he was avoiding her, standing on the catwalk, staring out the huge windows and down onto the gleaming parking lot. Staying away from Ortho was his best option right now.<p>

Arizona was due back any day now. Three years had gone by so fast, as if someone had hit the fast forward button on the remote controlling their lives and simply skipped through the little moments of his relationship with Callie. He'd fallen more in love with her than he'd ever thought possible. He hated knowing that they'd wasted all those years when they could have had this. Even though Callie still had her conflictions, they were happy. They were a couple and he wanted to marry her. But he was waiting for her to decide that she was ready. He would wait for her forever, just so long as he got her in the end. Visions of her were all that occupied his mind, even with Arizona's impending arrival.

Blonde caught his eye. His head turned down. He knew that hair toss. He knew those bouncing curls. And if he didn't know anything else, he knew that strut. Arizona was back. She was walking into the hospital like she owned the place. Mark took off running. He pushed past nurses and doors, and flew down staircases. Callie would not deal with this here.

* * *

><p>Huffing out another sigh of boredom, Callie pushed away from her desk and went to look for Mark. She'd been awful to him recently, and she knew why. It hadn't been fair to him, but he was the only one close enough for her to take it out on. But it seemed like maybe Arizona wasn't coming back after all. She needed to make up with him. She couldn't just wait until it was all over, because it reality it would never really be all over. And she had been waiting too much, and making him wait too long. She just needed to know if the blonde was going to come back to Seattle or not. She needed to know if Arizona was going to stay because she needed to order a heart of steel if that was the case and special ordering that would take some time. Steel was pretty heavy and she was pretty sure that it'd be a bitch to ship. She needed to be able to deal with this, and she didn't think she could. Not without Mark by her side.<p>

But the halls were empty. It was dead today. Not a single case had come through the doors, she didn't have any appointments. The stack of paperwork on her desk had shrunk significantly and it was only two hours into her shift. She wandered up a flight of stairs, prepared to return to her office, when she heard it. The sound of ocean waves rolling back to the shore greeted her ears. She closed her eyes. "Calliope."

Turning her head, she saw her. Arizona stood there, tan, her blonde hair bleached out from the sun. Her super magic smile was plastered to her face, like someone had just given her a puppy for Christmas. Callie shook her head, her eyes beginning to cloud with tears.

"Cal," a deeper voice, home, called her back from the tempting siren call. She swiveled her head back to look over her shoulder and saw Mark. Sweat was beading his brow and he looked like he'd just run a marathon. A smile picked up the right side of her face. Concern was written in his eyes. This was the moment of truth. The fork in the road stood before her. All she had to do was make a move.

But she had already made her decision. She had made it a long time ago. Her brown eyes were sad as she turned back and took one last look at Arizona, the woman that used to hold her heart. She watched the blonde's face fall, as if to say '_So it's true then.' _With a nod, Callie turned and walked into Mark's embrace.

"Hey," he said into her hair. His eyes leveled with Arizona, daring her to come after Callie.

"Hey," she breathed back.

"You okay?" He asked after he was certain that Arizona was going to walk away.

"Yeah."

They walked off, his arm tightly wrapped around her shoulders. He didn't want her to break down in front of the entire hospital, but then again, it didn't feel like she was breaking. He steered them into a storage closet and let her lean into him for support. "She's back."

"She is."

"For a second there, I thought you were going to go to her," he admitted softly.

She turned her face up and smiled at him. The fear and uncertainty was there in his eyes as they pierced her. "Don't, Mark," she said. "The choice was made before I had to make it. I love you." She kissed him, assuring them of everything she felt for him. He pulled her as close to him as possible, holding her. "But you smell like a sweatshop. What have you been doing?"

"Trying to find you before she did."

* * *

><p>She'd managed to avoid seeing Arizona for the rest of the day, but part of her wanted the blonde to find her. The confrontation would happen sooner or later. She just wanted to get it over with. This was why she was sitting in the empty cafeteria at nine o'clock, very much alone. Tempting fate was something that she excelled at. That and royally screwing everything up. Her eyes swept across the walls. They needed to be painted.<p>

_Just find me already, you stupid bitch._

Her head snapped around at the sound of footsteps, but she didn't see anyone in the hall. Then she heard the creak of a door behind her and her body froze, muscles locked in place, ready to fight.

"Calliope?"

She turned. "Arizona." The blonde looked like she wanted to run and hug her, but the look on Callie's face must have warned her against it. "You're back."

"I'm back," Arizona smiled. She was nervous and flighty. Callie had never seen her so unprepared. "H-how are you?"

"I'm good. I'm happy," she threw Arizona's last words in her face. "Really happy."

"Yeah, so Mark, huh?" Arizona said, a nasty edge baring itself from her words.

"You told me to be happy. So tell me, Arizona. Are you happy?" She had wanted this fight for so long.

"Well I-I was."

"That's good. It took me three years, but I'm happy again. Glad to know that it was so much easier for you," Callie spat, rising from her chair.

"Callie," Arizona started. "You would have ended up hating me. Either way, you would have ended up hating me. I didn't want you to hate me. I missed you."

"I missed you more than I'm willing to admit. But you already knew that," Callie challenged.

"Teddy has kept me informed," Arizona acquiesced.

"That must have been nice," Callie snapped. Being near Arizona again was intoxicating, but her anger was blocking it out.

"So it's true," Arizona said. "You and Mark?"

"Yeah."

"I knew it!"

"Don't!"

"I knew you weren't for real! I knew you were in love with him! But no, you promised. You pleaded and promised. For what?"

"No. No! You leaving, that's what…I wasn't in love with him until after you."

"So what? You screw him after me and fall in love? What about all the time before me?"

"You left! Arizona, you left. I loved you. And you left," Callie screamed.

"Loved? You loved me? As in don't anymore? Because if that's the case then you never truly loved me at all." Arizona's tone was dark and harsh.

"Did you?" Callie asked. "Ever love me?"

"You know –"

"I thought you did. But my idea of love doesn't involve leaving people in airports without looking back!" In her head it was a dogfight. She had Arizona by the throat and wasn't letting go. "You left. I would have married you. I wanted to marry you. But you left. And then Mark was there and I refused to rebound on him again. Not to get over you. And…and there was a helicopter crash. It took him almost dying for me to realize how much he meant to me. You can't just come back after three years and expect me to still be standing in the airport waiting for you."

"I'm sorry." Arizona hung her head, the words barely passing her lips.

"That's all I get? That's what you said when you left, and it still means nothing coming from you."

"Mark?" Arizona couldn't help it; she was stuck on the idea of him.

"I dated another chick after you. It didn't work out. Mark told me he loved me. And then he almost died. Mark has never left me. He always let me go. With you, with George, with Erica…the girl at the coffee cart," Callie twisted her last words with sarcasm.

"Wait, you actually?"

"No, Arizona. I'm making a point."

"I love you."

"If you loved me, then you wouldn't have left me. You would have come back for me. I was so in love with you," Callie said bitterly. "I slept with Mark to get over George, to get over Erica, but you…"

"You dated him."

"I fell in love with him," Callie corrected her.

"So why haven't you married him yet, Calliope? Because it seems a little strange to me to have been with him for so long and to be so happy, and yet for all intents and purposes, you're still single. There must be some reason as to why you're holding out," Arizona questioned. "Can't we try?"

"No. Arizona, no. Go back to Malawi."

Arizona paused. "Calliope, Malawi is over."

"So are we."

"Callie."

"Arizona. It's been over for three years. There's no going back. I'll never trust you again. But thank you. It took you leaving for your greatest fear to come true. If you'd never left, I would have missed how amazing Mark really is."

Arizona nodded and looked away.

"I still miss you," Callie admitted softly. "But please, leave me alone." She stalked out through the doors as Arizona collapsed in on herself.

Mark hadn't meant to see it or hear it, but the women had been so wrapped up in their fight that they hadn't noticed him slip in. "Robbins."

Arizona wiped at her eyes. "Mark."

"She shouldn't–"

"It was fine. Way overdue," she said. They stayed in silence, searching for something to say. "I've dreamt of seeing her again for three years."

"She stopped dreaming of you about two years ago. But she never stopped missing you," he said. "She was in love with you."

"I love her, too."

"She's not anymore," he said gruffly.

Dejectedly, she stared at him. "You haven't married her yet."

"She's not ready yet."

"You're a patient man."

"I'll wait forever for her," Mark said. "Don't try, Robbins. You won't win this time. I let her go for you once, it won't happen again."

"I came back."

"Not for her." He stood and walked out.

* * *

><p>"Callie!" he called after her, jogging to catch up. "Wait, Cal."<p>

She didn't slow down. She didn't speak. He followed behind, afraid to stop her. He'd seen the fury in her eyes. She turned around corners as if she was trying to lose him, but he quickly realized that she was trying to lose herself. Keeping up with her was difficult, but he managed.

Callie threw open the door to her office and went straight for the desk. He watched her lean her palms against the cool wood for a moment and breathe. He watched her eyeing the stacks of paper and knew what she was going to do. With all the force she had in her, she swung back. And he caught her. "You don't want to do that."

"Yes I do."

"No, you don't," he dragged her backwards to sit on the couch.

"Let me go, Mark," she snapped, trying to pry his strong hands apart.

"Nope. Because you'll destroy your office if I do. And I'm not about to let that happen," he chuckled. "Calm down mi burro."

She stopped struggling. "Did you just call me a donkey?"

"You're as stubborn as one," he quipped. "I heard you yelling at her."

"So?"

"You can't yell at her to leave you alone when you wanted her to come find you," he said, kissing her cheek. "Besides, your shift is over. Let's go home."

"What if she shows up?"

"Then I'll deal with her," he said.

She turned to him, fire still blazing in her eyes. Her lips met his and he released her. She stood and turned so that she could straddle him as they continued to kiss. Her hands worked his shirt up and over his head while her hips ground into his growing bulge. He ripped her shirt over her hand and returned to her lips as she hungrily devoured him.

They'd never done it in her office before and he found it incredibly hot. He got her bra off and took her breasts in his hands .the way she arched against him caused her hips to meet his and he felt his erection fighting the restraint of his pants. She kept grinding and he knew he was going to lose it. With a growl, he stood up and hoisted her in his arms. He sat her on the desk and with a devilish grin watched as she pushed the papers off. This time he didn't care. He pulled her scrub pants off and ripped his down his legs. She laid back on the desk and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him to her.

"Fuck me, Mark," she moaned as his tip slid against her wet folds. Her tone told him that she was in no mood to play around. He grasped her lips and slide into her, setting a fast and hard pace that would bring them both to orgasm quickly. "Harder."

He slammed into her and withdrew, repeating the process over and over. Her hands cupped her breasts and she tweaked her own nipples. Her groans told him that she was close and he added his thumb to her clit to push her over the edge before he collapsed against her.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he said, climbing off of her and putting his clothing back on. He wasn't quite sure what she was thanking him for. He helped her up and watched her dress before handing her purse and her coat to her. She took his hand as they walked home together.

"I'm yours," she said to him later that night. "You know that right?"

"Yeah," he smiled. "I know."

If anything, her turning away from Arizona had proved that. He let his smile stay as he contemplated getting started on that forever he saw with her.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N:_ Hello darlings! We are winding down now, only one more chapter to go. Will they get their happily ever after now that Arizona is back?_

* * *

><p>There was a knock on the door. Callie turned, bewildered, to look at the door from where she was standing in the kitchen. A towel hugged her body as water dripped from her hair onto the wood floor. It was seven in the morning, <em>who the hell could be here?<em> She decided after a moment of silence that it was her imagination and turned back to brewing coffee. Another knock met her ears. "Mark!" she called, knowing that he was more decent after rolling out of bed than she was in a towel. "Mark!"

Not a sound greeted her ears from the dark bedroom and the knocking was turning into pounding. Rolling her eyes and glaring in Mark's general direction, she went to answer the door. "What?"

"Can I – oh," Arizona gulped at the sight before her. She hadn't expected Callie to answer the door, much less in a towel. Her eyes flicked behind Callie, checking to see if Mark was around. The apartment was as immaculate as ever, but it was different. The furniture was different and the decorations were new. It seemed as though Callie really had started all over, as if she had never existed.

Callie stared at her, forgetting that she was in a towel. "Zona?"

Arizona smiled at the use of her shortened name. It had been three days since their fight and she had been hoping for a slightly warmer welcome this time. "Hey Callie."

"What – uh – what are you doing here?" Callie stammered.

"Well," Arizona's eyes wandered over Callie's exposed skin. "I need the key to the storage unit."

"Here you go," Mark shoved himself between her and Callie. He handed her the key before folding his arms across his shirtless chest. Arizona had been given fair warning about coming after Callie and he was not about to stand down. The blonde took the key and bit her lip. She opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it. She smiled and thanked him as she turned and walked away. He closed the door a little too hard and bolted it. "Are you nuts?"

"What?" Callie asked defensively.

"Answering the door in a towel?"

"Someone," she snapped, "wouldn't get his lazy ass out of bed."

"Maybe someone was waiting for someone else to come back to bed," he leered, wrapping his arms around her.

"As if, you were still asleep!" she disengaged from him. "No. Work."

He ripped the towel away from her and laughed at her squeal of surprise. She glared at him as she backed away to go get dressed. He watched her, grinning to himself.

* * *

><p>She opened the door and practically screamed. "Arizona! Stop coming here!"<p>

"I just want to talk," Arizona pleaded. But she took a few steps back. The fury behind Callie's dark eyes was slightly more intimidating than she remembered. She knew these were fruitless attempts, but she couldn't help it. Now that she was back, and no longer concentrated on her work in Africa, Callie was all that occupied her thoughts. She just wanted to have a part of Callie again. She didn't need all of her, just being friends again would suffice.

Callie's eyes hardened with her heart. This had been going on for weeks. Arizona wouldn't leave her alone. It was driving a wedge between her and Mark because she was always angry. "Now you want to talk? What about three years ago when you didn't even give me a chance? You turned your back on me."

"When are you going to stop throwing that in my face?" Arizona snapped.

"Just stop!"

"I love you!"

"No!"

"What's going on?" Mark entered the conversation. He towered over Callie's shoulder and glared coldly at Arizona. Their attempts at peaceful existence with the blonde had long ended. Arizona wouldn't leave Callie alone. "You need to leave."

"Mark please," Arizona snorted. She wanted to talk to Callie and she wouldn't be deterred by him.

"No, he's right," Callie said, stepping back into her apartment. Her hand was on the door, poised to slam it shut. "You've treated him like shit ever since day one. He's right. You need to leave."

"Callie."

"You want to be a part of my life again, and you still can't respect him. Arizona, I will say this one time, and then I will not talk to you again. I am in love with Mark. You and I were over the second you turned your back on me in the airport three years ago. There is no going back. You don't have a chance. You need to leave me alone."

"But Calliope–" the door was shut in her face. Callie shrieked in frustration and stomped off to the bedroom to throw a private tantrum. Mark had been her outlet for far too long and she wouldn't take this out on him tonight. He watched her go sadly. This was eating away at her and he didn't know how to help. He winced as he heard glass break. Then a heavy thud. Another frustrated shriek assured him that she was okay. He flopped onto the couch and turned on the television to drown her out. He didn't even know what he was watching, but he turned it up loud and let her carry on.

"Mark," she called eventually, opening the bedroom door. Her tone was even. He went to her and saw her crying softly on the edge of the bed. "She came back."

"She didn't come back for you, Callie," he said, pulling her into his embrace. "She's back because her contract was up. She had to come back. She isn't back for you."

"I know," Callie finally sighed. She was much less hysterical now than she had been before. "Why won't she leave us alone?"

"Because Arizona is all about Arizona."

"She loves me, Mark. Somewhere in that black pit of a heart, she loves me. She did what she thought was right given the circumstances. Don't be like that, please," she leaned into him.

"If she comes back, I'm getting a restraining order," he said seriously.

"Okay," she said, not having it in her to fight his decision. She sunk into him and wondered how her life had gotten so far off track. Things had turned on a dime and she had no control anymore. But she was ready now, despite the fact that she was still holding out for something to give.

"I'm ready."

"What?"

"Whenever you are," she said softly.

* * *

><p>Blue and red lights flashed on the street. Callie watched with steel reinforcing her eyes as two police officers handcuffed a drunk and hysterical Arizona Robbins. Another cop was taking a statement from Mark. This was not how things were supposed to go. She felt like her life was spiraling out of control. Things were falling apart.<p>

She hadn't been home; she'd been at work, when Arizona had come calling. Mark had answered the door to find a drunken Arizona standing there, babbling incoherently about Callie. He told her that Callie wasn't home and that even if she was; she didn't want to speak with her. Arizona had attacked Mark, lunging at him and leaving a deep scratch in his face from her manicured nails. Callie felt sorry that Arizona had dropped to this low, but this was not something easily forgiven, no matter how drunk the blonde had been. She was worried, she didn't want this to affect Arizona's career. She was a good doctor. As much as she was sick of this and angry that Arizona had attacked Mark, Callie did still care for her.

When the officer asked for her statement, the only thing she had to say was, "Go easy on her."

She couldn't believe this was happening. She didn't understand why Arizona was acting like this. It wasn't the Arizona that Callie knew. _People change_.

* * *

><p>Callie fussed with her skirt while Mark drove. "It's going to be awkward. Sure, you guys are friends, but–"<p>

"It's not going to be awkward."

"I tried to attack her once!"

"That was how many years ago?"

"She thinks I'm a freak."

"Callie, she's seven months pregnant. You love kids. I have a feeling that you and Meredith will find something to talk about," Mark said sternly. They were going over to Meredith and Derek's house for dinner, a kind of double date. "And she does not think you're a freak. You work together. It's not like she's a stranger."

Callie sat back in her seat and sighed. "You're just lucky that I love you enough to do this for you." She stared glumly into the darkening sky, prepared to pout the entire way there and back.

"I know that face," Mark said, putting a finger to her chin. "As long as you are beautifully charming tonight, you can have whatever you want."

Callie smirked; he would regret that decision later. "Fine."

Mark smiled and peered out onto the road. The mist was getting thicker as they got deeper into the woods. Derek and Meredith's new house was apparently a sight to see. Mark hadn't been up to see it yet and when Derek had suggested having dinner, he'd jumped at the chance. It had been far too much Callie and Arizona drama for him recently.

They pulled up next to the house and gaped at it for a second. "This is their house?" Callie asked.

"Mmhmm," Mark nodded.

"Meredith and Derek?"

"Yup." The house loomed amongst the trees. It was huge, twice as big as Meredith's house in town. Burgundy shutters stood out subtly from the forest green siding. Candles lit all of the windows. They climbed out and made their way to the front porch. Taking a deep breath, Callie plastered a brilliant smile to her face and told herself that she loved the man knocking on the door to her prison for the next few hours.

Dinner was pleasant and Callie was duly impressed that a very pregnant Meredith had cooked the entire meal herself. They quickly fell into talking about the upcoming baby and left the men behind in their own conversation. Eventually Meredith began to ask questions and her gaze landed on Mark's cheek. "Where did Sloan get that nasty gash?" she asked in a whisper.

"Oh," Callie nodded. "Arizona kind of…she was drunk and he wouldn't let her talk to me. She attacked him."

"Seriously?" Meredith gasped. "Is he okay? Is she okay? Will that hurt her career or anything?"

"I managed to talk Mark into not pressing any kind of assault charges on her, but it wasn't easy. Hopefully it doesn't mar her record. She's distraught, she thought I would be there waiting for her and I wasn't. I understand," Callie trailed off awkwardly. Meredith nodded and said that she was sorry that had happened.

Mark nodded at the women as they wandered out of the dining room, laughing and carrying dishes with them to the kitchen. "Well, that seems to be going okay."

Derek laughed, "Yeah. Meredith was worried."

"I can guarantee you that it was nothing compared to Callie on the way over here," Mark said. "I thought she was going to pull the threads out of her skirt." They sipped on their beers for a few seconds before Mark looked around.

"What?"

"I just want to make sure they are really gone," he said, digging through his pockets.

"What's wrong with you?" Derek asked, looking him up and down and noticing how anxious he was becoming.

"Nothing, I just," he pulled a box out of his pocket. He popped the top up.

"Really?" Derek smiled. "How much did this cost?"

"You don't want to know," Mark assured. "I promise. It was too much."

"But she's worth it," Derek finished for him.

Mark beamed. He picked the ring out of the box and ran it through his fingers.

"It's about time," Derek said. "You've only been waiting for this for?"

"Not long, seven, eight years," Mark laughed, putting the ring back in the box and snapping it shut. He slipped it back into his pocket before the women returned. "Good choice?"

"Good choice. When are you going to do it?"

"Tomorrow," Mark said certainly. "When she comes to meet me for lunch."

"At work? You always have to try to outdo me, don't you?"

* * *

><p>He paced, running his fingers along the fading scar on his cheek. Arizona hadn't bothered them again after that night save once, when she had come back sober to apologize. Callie hadn't paid her any mind, and simply said "okay" to her heartfelt apology. Since then, Arizona had maintained her distance and engaged in a professional work relationship with the both of them at the hospital. It had been two weeks, and it seemed like it was going to stick. They were all breathing easier. So he was pacing and waiting on the catwalk for Callie. She was late getting out of surgery. She was supposed to meet him for lunch when she finished. His palms were sweaty from being balled into fists. Every second felt like a minute. People were starting to stare and he wished that she would hurry up already. The ring was clutched in his hand. He was terrified that he would lose it if it was in his pocket, but he was also afraid that he was going to drop it. He paced more. She was very late.<p>

When she'd told him that she was ready, his heart had felt like it was going to explode. He'd treated her like royalty since then because he was so happy. But now she was late and he was anxious.

"Mark, sorry. Complications," her angel voice greeted his ears so sweetly that he immediately forgot his nerves. He sunk down to his knee. "Did I forget to tie my shoe?"

"Callie," he said, calling for her attention. Her eyes met his. "We've been through hell together. We've pieced each other back together. You're my best friend. And I would like to make you my wife."

Tears shone in her eyes at his unexpected proposal.

"Will you marry me?"

She didn't have to think. The word was leaving her mouth before she was finished. "Yes."

He slid the ring onto her finger with shaky hands and then stood, giving her a deep kiss. Cheering and clapping alerted them to their audience. They broke apart suddenly, embarrassed. Half of the hospital was standing below, watching.

"It's about time!" someone called out.

They laughed and kissed again before slipping away to the cafeteria for lunch. But when they entered the jam-packed space, Mark surprised her again. He grabbed a chair and soot on it, calling everyone to attention. "Excuse me!"

All eyes were on them and Callie felt herself blush deeply as she scanned the crowd, praying.

"Moments ago–"

Her eyes met Arizona's.

"Callie Torres agreed to marry me, finally."

Callie saw the tear slide out of Arizona's eye and turned away. She beamed up at Mark before showing off her ring to the people that swarmed them. She lost track of Arizona, but was pretty sure that she had seen her smile and nod before slipping out the doors. The blonde wasn't her problem anymore. Planning her wedding to the man that adored her was.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: _Here we go! The last chapter of "Adore". I hope that you all enjoyed our little Mallie journey. Thank you for sticking with me through this endeavor. :)_

* * *

><p>She slipped in the back of the church, closing the door as quietly as she could manage behind her. Her blue dress, the one that she wore to Alex and Izzie's wedding years ago, hung limply from her shoulders contrasting with the harsh bun that she had tamed her curls into. She'd redone her makeup three times, but had skipped the mascara the last time. No one noticed her come in; they were far too focused on the beautiful glowing bride and her equally handsome glowing groom as they were finally getting married. She watched the smile on the bride's face and remembered when it used to be for her. The priest was taking forever with all of the opening pomp and circumstance. She steeled herself, knowing what was coming soon.<p>

"If anyone holds a reason as to why these two should not be married, speak now, or forever hold your peace," the priest said.

She watched Callie's head turn. She watched her scan the crowd. She watched her flick her eyes up, and she held back tears as Callie caught her steady gaze. She smiled and nodded, assuring her Calliope that she wouldn't ruin her day. She had finally learned that sometimes when you loved someone enough, you let them go and be happy. Callie looked absolutely gorgeous in her traditional white gown. Mark looked happier than Arizona had ever seen him.

She watched them say their vows, and then she watched them kiss. All too soon, they were heading down the aisle towards her. They hesitated for a fraction of a second and Arizona mouthed, "I love you."

Callie smiled and mouthed, "I love you, too."

And then they were gone.

She followed the caravan to the reception and stood at the edge of the tent while they danced. Callie had apparently finally been able to teach Mark how to dance properly and they glided over the floor like professionals. She had to admit that it was graceful. She went widely unnoticed by the guests, choosing to hang back in the shadows and just watch. One man did notice her though, and he made it known when the real dancing had gotten underway.

"Why are you here?" Carlos Torres questioned her.

"To give them my congratulations," Arizona said calmly. "And to let Callie know that I am happy for her."

"She doesn't need you to be here."

"She knows that I am here. If she didn't want me here, she would have told me to leave herself. I'm not hurting her anymore, Mr. Torres." Arizona avoided looking at him as she continued to watch the dance floor. She'd lost track of Callie and Mark a long time ago. Carlos eventually walked away from her and she relaxed.

"Robbins!" Mark's voice came from behind her.

She turned around quickly. Callie was standing behind him. "Hey."

"Thank you," he said before walking away, leaving the women to talk.

"Callie, I can go."

"I would have already seen to it if I'd wanted you gone," Callie said. With a smile, she leaned over and pulled Arizona into a hug. "Thank you."

Arizona nodded. "You never cried over me because you were happy. You did today with him. I think you made the right decision. I'm happy that you're happy, Calliope."

"It's what you wanted," Callie said, playing with her ring. They both knew that it wasn't a jab at the past. It was simply the truth.

"I know," Arizona held back her tears yet again. "I know."

"I should get back," Callie said before walking past her.

Arizona stood there for a moment before calling over her shoulder. "Callie."

Callie looked back at her.

"Congratulations."

* * *

><p>Mark watched his wife talk with Arizona. <em>His wife<em>, he smiled. He would never get over being able to call Callie Torres his wife. They had certainly been anxious about Arizona. She could have easily crashed their wedding in a most spectacular fashion, but she hadn't. He was partially ashamed that he thought she would in the first place. But it had been a beautiful day. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life than Callie as she walked down the aisle. Everything else was a blur to him, but that moment had gone in slow motion. Time had dragged endlessly as she glided towards him. She'd had the most brilliantly stunning smile on her face. It had touched her eyes and made them sparkle as if the angels had laid the stars of heaven in them. She was undoubtedly the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he would never lose her again.

Callie walked over to him and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Miss me?"

"Always," he smiled. "Did it go okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "She said congratulations."

"I'll have to remember to thank her at some point," he replied, pulling her into his arms.

"So when is it appropriate for us to clear out of here?" she asked with a devilish glint in her eyes. "Because I'd really like to get home."

"Oh, so no honeymoon for Mrs. Sloan?" he asked.

She swiped at him. "I'm still Torres, Sloan. And I am dying for the honeymoon." They had decided to keep their last names as they were so as to not confuse any medical doctrines. "I love you."

He kissed her again. "I love you too."

* * *

><p>"Sir," the doctor said, "We're going to have to ask you to leave."<p>

"That's my wife! That's my son! I'm not–" he yelled as two male nurses dragged him out of the room. He fell to his knees behind the doors as they swung shut, blocking his view of his wife being hurried down the hall to the OR. Their vacation to commemorate their two year anniversary had quickly turned into a nightmare when Callie had gone into preterm labor. She wasn't due for another three weeks. He'd never prayed before. They'd gotten married in a church purely because she had wanted to. He didn't believe in God, but she did. "Please. Please don't let her die. I know that I might not mean much to you, but she means everything to me. Please don't let her die. Don't let him die. Take…take me instead, anything. Just please don't let her die."

He prayed for hours, never leaving his spot on his knees. He wished on everything that he'd ever heard had magical powers. He swore on everything that was valuable to him. And when the doctor came back out to get him, he barely had the strength to get to his feet. "Is she alive? Is he okay?" he questioned. The doctor refused to answer him, instead remaining silent as he led Mark down the hallways. Finally, Mark grabbed him by the collar, "Answer me!"

"To the left," the doctor indicated calmly.

Mark put him down slowly. In the room was Callie, awake and smiling as their son was being placed in her arms. She rubbed noses with the tiny bundle in her arms before looking up and catching Mark's eyes. Her smile grew wider when their eyes met and she motioned for him to come in. Sheepishly, he looked at the doctor. "Sorry man."

"You were afraid," he said. "Never be sorry for fearing for those you love."

Mark nodded. The doctor handed him a gown and he put it on expertly. The whoosh was familiar as he stepped into Callie's room and quickly crossed to her. "Callie."

"Mark," she smiled, meeting his lips when he bent down to kiss her.

"I thought I was going to lose you, baby," he said, crouching down to look in her eyes. "I was so scared that I was never going to see you again. I can't lose you, Cal," he said softly.

"You won't," she said. "Now come meet your son."

Mark stood back up and gazed down at his family. His son was healthy and strong, and he had the Sloan nose. Mark let him catch his little fist around his finger and he kissed the top of Callie's head.

When Callie finally let him hold the baby, she let her body relax enough to realize how tired she was. It had been a long day. But right now, as she watched Mark adore their son, she knew that she wouldn't have changed it for a single thing. She had never imagined that her life would turn out this way. After Arizona, she had almost given up hope of having a family. But Mark had given her that chance again and she was so happy. They had their ups and downs, but she was more in love with him today than she had ever been before.


End file.
